Fourth Grade Level Meeting

MINUTES – October 27, 2003

ATTENDANCE: Alderwood: Kent Quigley, Megan McClellan Birchwood: Carl Cozier: Ann Williamson, Linda Pollino, Sue Alfawicki, Tom Pollino Columbia: Shannon Sampson, Ingrid McGarry Geneva: Happy Valley: Patsy DeCastro Larrabee: Cathy Young, Lisa Conlon Lowell: Northern Heights: Karen Blum, Sandra Chorvat, John Livzey Parkview: Tom Gresham, Courtney Hertz Roosevelt: Tiffany Gutierrez, Michael Webb Silver Beach: Barb Rutherford, Susan Kagel, Angela Borden Sunnyland: Joy Sawyer, Gretchen Howard, Eric Paige

PLANNERS: Eric Paige and Kent Quigley

OUTCOME: Teachers will have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with peers in order to increase understandings about district curriculum and direction, as well as to incorporate powerful teaching and learning strategies into lessons and unit design.

CURRICULUM FOCUS: District Reading Program and Year Long Planning Strategies that Support Powerful Teaching and Learning

RECONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES:

Second grade teachers shared information about themselves and a powerful learning strategy.

UPDATES:

•  Elementary Math Task Force-Elementary Task Force continues to meet and work on Core Understanding and Common Practices and the development of a professional development plan. http://www.bham.wednet.edu/staff/elemliteracytaskforce.htm

•  Bellingham Centennial Web Page-Bellingham is celebrating its centennial this year. An interesting and informative web page has been developed by Elizabeth Johnson that features instructional resources and lesson plans. http://www.bham.wednet.edu/district/centennial.htm

•  National Science Foundation Grant-The Bellingham School District is part of a consortium of districts who received an NSF grant of $12,000,o00 that will provide extensive professional development for teachers in science. http://www.bham.wednet.edu/events/NSFGrantforScienceLearning.htm

•  District Professional Development Catalog–The catalog has been developed for the 2003/2004. Copies can be found in each school or on the district web site at http://www.bham.wednet.edu/departments/currdept/profdev/courses/CourseList.htm

THE DISTRICT READING PROGRAM:

Adrienne shared a graphic representation of the District Reading Program. Teachers discussed the graphic representation: T he Reading Process and the Five Core Elements of Reading : Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Text Comprehension . The section of the Elementary Literacy Support Guide, “What Guides My Reading Instruction”, has been revised and was given to each teacher. The revisions were reviewed along with the research that supports the best instructional strategies to use in teaching the core elements. Then, teachers recorded instructional strategies and resources that they use for each of the five core elements of reading. These charts will be available in Microsoft Outlook/Public Folders/All Public Folders/Grade Level Work/Grade 4. The graphic and the revised section will be available soon on the District Web Page

YEAR LONG PLANNING:

The Fourth Grade Teachers worked small groups to share their strategies for long range planning. Teachers brought templates that displayed when social studies, science, and math concepts and units are taught. They also shared connections made between the various units. Strategies for integrating the reading and writing processes were also discussed as well as various resources. New learnings, resources, and strategies were charted and shared with the whole group. Charts from this discussion will be put in Microsoft Outlook/Public Folders/All Public Folders/Grade Level Work/Grade 4.

QUESTIONS:

1. Will there be a review of how to complete the report card? Completing the report card is covered in the New Teacher Seminar in November.
2. Is there discussion about field trips for 4 th grade? What is available? At the fourth grade, the only district-sponsored field trip is to the Museum, However, each building has an allocation designated for field trips that may be selected by the school. If you want to take a field trip, you should discuss it with your principal. Board Policy 2320 outlines the district's guidelines for field trips. http://www.bham.wednet.edu/policies/2320.doc
3. Who pays for the printing of the Atlas materials if we make booklets for our students? Is it possible to get more sets of atlases or math manipulatives? We have to share between 2.5 classes and this is difficult? How do we get more resources i.e. Washington Texts, Desk Top Maps, Math Manipulatives? Who Pays? The curriculum department pays for materials required for the adoption of new curriculum. The school must purchase any materials that are needed after an adoption cycle. In the area of math, each elementary school receives an annual allocation of $2.00 a student to purchase math materials that support the implementation of the “Investigations” curriculum. Math manipulatives can be purchased with these funds. The other exception to having buildings purchase new materials after an adoption is when a totally new classroom established at a school. If a new teacher and classroom are added, funds are available from the Deputy Superintendent for helping schools set up a new classroom. Principals have information about the procedures to follow to access these funds.

NEXT STEPS/TOPICS/SUGGESTIONS:

• Please consider changing the date of the Feb. meeting – not the 13 th
• Focus on one thing. Maybe Spelling or a Math unit.
• Bring together titles of reading materials especially across curricular materials.
• WASL tips or tricks.
• Time to talk about year so far…what's left.
• Things that have worked (& not) regarding reading, etc.
• Time to meet with our grade level teachers at our school site. We can work together and try to meet our specific needs.
• Make and take Social Studies.
• More of same – can we include writing and bit on science as science WASL is in 5 th for these kids.

FEBRUARY MEETING:

The next Grade Level Meeting for Fourth Grade Teachers is scheduled for February 13 th . Stand by for further information about a possible date change.

TOPICS

RATINGS

Important Learning and Celebrations

District Reading Program

3.5

• Clarification – common language!
• Addition to Lit. Guide – very valuable, especially phonics part.
• Great new information you gave us. Thanks!
• Important to have common understanding. A copy should be in each school's “Family Handbook”.
• What our program is.
• I now know what is meant by our District program. It's what I do anyway but hadn't labeled it.
• Our understanding of what the program is and how to implement it.
• Enjoy the new format. Specified and to the point.
• The revised pages are great. Great to have our Resource Teacher with us today.
• Clearly stated, how to authentically use could be discussed further.

Information Items

3.1

• I liked that you had Prof. Books to look at.
• Appreciate updated literacy/reading component for the grid.
• They were fine.
• Good timing/amount.
• I loved the book sharing!

Grade Level Sharing

3.8

• Always needed, appreciated the time.
• I hope we get enough resources for all teachers!
• What's happening elsewhere – what they do – very helpful.
• Opportunities to share, chat – about grade level things of course!
• Nice to have time to talk with different teachers at same grade level about curriculum.
• Thank you for providing time and opportunity to share.
• Great opportunity to plan for our team. Two new programs finalized to begin Nov 3 rd ! (Reading/Math)
• Nice to hear from other schools/populations.
• Thanks for the opportunity.

Overall Rating of the Meeting

3.4

• Thanks! Well done.
• Really interesting and helpful.
• Well dressed!
• I enjoyed the time for discussion. Great for gathering new ideas. Great job!
• Excellent pace, activities, mixture of new learning and sharing – not a wasted moment!