From The Principal
Dear Flickinger Families,
Thank you for attending our Open House last month. It was a great opportunity to connect with families about content and classroom expectations for your child’s grade level. Research shows that parent involvement in schools positively impacts a student’s academic progress. One way to keep in communication with school is by utilizing PowerSchool Parent Portal. The office has your login information if you are in need of it. Another way to stay connected to what your child is learning is through classroom communications. Your child’s teacher may share curriculum information in their classroom newsletter or website.
Our staff is dedicated to providing all of our students with the foundation needed to be successful in their academics and future careers. To ensure your child’s success, our staff works together to identify research-based strategies for students to learn so they have the tools to reach high levels of academic achievement.
One strategy we are implementing as a school this year is Text-Dependent Questions. The purpose of this strategy is to promote close and critical reading of narrative and informational text and build a strong foundation of knowledge. We know that the more students use academic vocabulary the deeper their comprehension the concepts connected to them becomes. The types of questions we ask students regarding text shape their approach to the information within it. To use this strategy effectively, students will use evidence from the text to support or prove their answer to a specific question. If a student can answer a question without reading the text, it is not a text-dependent question.
What to look for in your child’s work?
Look for written assessments that ask your child to draw on concrete examples from the text that serves as evidence or support for their answer. Wording your child may use in their answer may be “For example”, “I know this because…”, “The author states…” or “According to the text.”
What can you do?
Ask your child to provide evidence in everyday discussions at home. Review your child’s work with them so they have the opportunity to share evidence-based answers with you. Lastly, ask your child questions about the books they are choosing to read at home and have them show you where in the text gave them evidence for their answers.
Parent involvement and support are an important part of guiding students to high levels of achievement. Your child’s teacher and I are proud to be a part of your child’s team. Feel free to ask us questions or share your feedback on your child’s progress with Text-Dependent Questions.
Finally, our school’s Halloween celebration will be on Wednesday, October 31st. The parade will be outside (weather permitting) at 10:00 a.m. We will have the north playpad open for parking. This will be a half day of school for students so dismissal will be at 11:29 a.m.
Sincerely,
Nancy Brunetz, Proud Flickinger Principal