Elementary English Language Arts
Margaret Richardson - Coordinator
Here's what you need to know:
Amira Practice
Way to go Sunnyside, Northview, and Manchester Park for having the highest percentage of students practicing! Second grade is leading the district in minutes practiced for the year with 20,438 minutes so far. Amira practice has been extended for the ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR for all K-5 students!!!
Amira Assessment Window
Mid-year Amira assessment window is Dec. 1-Dec. 17. Increasing the amount of practice prior to testing will help identify any lingering technology issues.
Small Group Reading
Check out this If/Then chart to help guide planning for small group reading. Remember, small group reading is time to Reteach, Apply, and Extend literacy skills taught in Tier 1.
Letter and Sound Intervention
Check out this Letter ID intervention for reteaching and practice for letter names and sounds. This should not be used in place of phonological awareness intervention.
Instructional Technology
Here's what you need to know:
Seesaw District Activity Library
Did you know that we have an Olathe District Seesaw Library? This is a space where Olathe teachers can share any Seesaw activities that they’ve found or created with other Olathe teachers! If you have a Seesaw activity that you would like to share with other Olathe teachers, please click HERE for more information! Even if you do not want to share an activity to the District Library, please browse the district library to get Seesaw activities you would like to use with your students.
If you decide to add an activity, please consider using a naming convention for your activity so that other teachers can easily find it.
Example: 5th Grade Math- Classifying Triangles
Are you new to using Seesaw activities? Check THIS VIDEO out to learn how to use them!
Library Media
Here's what you need to know:
November Newsletter
OPS Future Ready LMS Smore newsletter.
Mathematics
Here's what you need to know:
Upcoming Webinars
McGraw Hill is hosting a free webinar series, centering on statements of "Math is...". This will include presentations from experts in the field, including Annie Fetter on Math is Sense Making and John Sangiovanni on Math is Routines. These are free hour long events. For more information click HERE!
DCM Assessments
In the last couple of weeks, DCM assessments have been released in core trackers in Mastery Connect. These assessments are driven by an algorithm that allows for them to remain reliable with very few questions targeted to specific standards and/or clusters. They are typically high in rigor and meant to provide an opportunity for staff to formatively assess the depth of understanding of the students. This typically includes utilizing questions that will appear novel to the student. The intent is to assess whether a student understands the content deeply enough to apply their knowledge in varying situations. If you have questions or concerns regarding the DCM assessments, please reach out to Spencer Brown. For more information on the algorithm powering the assessments click HERE.
Science
Here's what you need to know:
Star Gazing
Partial Lunar Eclipse - Nov. 19, In Olathe Penumbral Eclipse begins at 12:02 a.m., Maximum Eclipse at 3:03 a.m., and Penumbral Eclipse ends at 6:03 a.m.
KSDE STEM Newsletter
The KSDE Science newsletter for collaboration meetings, professional development opportunities, differentiation discussions, and more!
2nd Grade Plant Lab
An opportunity for your students to engage in a hands-on plant lab! The Kiewit Engineering Group donated plant seed kits to Olathe Public Schools. Each kit has two different soils, two containers, pea seeds and full instructions to observe and record how the pea seeds grow. These kits will have everything needed for the seed growing experience, except for the water!
With the Science Sequence and Standards, I realize Module 6: Plants and Their Needs isn’t until the end of the school year. These kits could be used now or saved for Module 6, as this would be an activity where students can wonder, ask questions and collect data via measurement, photos, pictures, etc. that could be discussed in your classes. The data collected could then be revisited when doing Module 6.
If you are interested in receiving seed kits, please e-mail me the quantity needed. Kits will be sent as emails are received until there are no more available. jmillerirc@olatheschools.org
Social Studies
Here's what you need to know:
4th Grade Social Studies Assessment
Please watch this short video for more information about the social studies state assessment. I will have a Big3 Tuesdays PD session about the 4th grade assessment on Dec. 14.
Economics Curriculum Activities/Lessons
Junior Achievement offers some great resources to supplement your social studies instruction. Please contact Julie for more information @ jcfishburn@olatheschools.org
OPS Social Studies T-Shirt / Smiley Face Mask Giveaway
We’re clearing out the closet! While supplies last, fill out this form to indicate you’d like one! First come, first served!
Posters
If you would like a Think Like a Historian or HGSS Standards poster for your classroom, please fill out this form.