ペット館 【多機能Wドアケージ】2ドアホワイトケージ 3L （710mm

The “Leaflet”
January/February 2015
This is the Numbers Edition of The Leaflet. Every issue, when the teachers create “blurbs,”
they write about everything happening in their class except math. This time, the teachers
have written up descriptions of some of the things happening during these math classes.
I am going to talk about “number” related items.
•Moving up a grade level in math
•The types of math we value as 21st century
learners
Moving up a grade level in math
As many of you know, some students have the
opportunity to move up a grade level in math at The
Birches. Moving a child from one grade level to
another is a decision we take VERY seriously. A child
can be receiving an A in math (middle school) or a 4 in
math (grade 1-5) and still might not be a candidate at
all for skipping a grade. A child must not only be
proficient in math algorithms, but flexible in problem
solving and also in being able to explain multiple ways
to solve a problem. These are all 21st century math
skills. We test children on their current year of content
and then on the next year of content, sometimes in
multiple ways. If a child misses some of the concepts
and skills on the assessment, they would not be a good
candidate to move up a level. When would they get
these foundation skills if they move from their current
grade level? Perhaps they do know a lot of the
foundation skills and their teacher can extend and
enrich their learning at their current grade level.
A student may know his or her math content very
well but not have the work study habits to keep up
with the skills of children at a developmentally
different stage. This is often a problem when
considering moving students from one grade to
another, not just math classes. We look at the whole
child when deciding whether or not to move a child up
a level. Sometimes, all of these factors click and a
move is appropriate but it is later in the year. We are no
longer moving any child from one level to another in
math because they would miss too much content that
has already been covered. We do keep an eye on them
in the beginning of the next year. Please trust us to
consider what is the very best placement for your child
and mathematics!
The types of math we value as 21st century learners
As noted above, math is no longer simply about
computation. Students need to to solve complex
problems in multiple ways and communicate this with
others in a group. Here is a sample of what 4th grade
students will have to do on the upcoming Common
Core Smarter Balanced Assessments in the spring.
A Trip To The Zoo
Anna’s Family
Type of Ticket
Adult (ages 12-64)
Senior (ages 65 and up)
Child (ages 2-11)
Under 2
•
•
•
•
Price
$16.00
$13.00
$11.00
Free
Betsy is an adult (ages 12-64)
Grandma is a senior (ages 65 and up)
Ray is a child (ages 2-11)
Anna is a child (ages 2-11)
The family has $100.00 to spend at the Zoo. What is
the total cost, in dollars, of zoo tickets for Anna’s
family?
More test items can be seen at http://
sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/resources/ scoring
- Dr. Dael Angelico-Hart
Classroom Happenings
Math at The Birches is a little different. Instead of learning in multi-grade
classrooms, the entire school switches for math at the same time to allow students
to take math at his or her own level. Here is a little about what is going on.
The Seeds
First Grade: Students have been building their
number sense and understanding when to add or
subtract. We are currently working on finding the
place value of two digit numbers. There is more than
one way to show a number. First graders can tell you
that there are four ways to show 36; 3 tens and 6
ones, 2 tens and 16 ones, 1 ten and 26 ones, and 0
tens and 36 ones. We have become great pattern
detectives not only to make tables showing this
information but also when looking for patterns
on the hundreds chart. Students are becoming
skip counting professionals and know how to
use the end digits to figure out a skip counting
pattern. Check out our hallway for our fact
family snowmen!
Second Grade: We have been working on
double digit addition and subtraction with a regroup.
It is a lot of organizing! We have spent time learning
about coin values and now we are learning about
telling time. We are always practicing math facts.
Each Friday we have game playing centers where we
practice all our newly developed skills! It's a blast!
The Sprouts
Third Grade: Students have just begun learning
about division! Do you know about fact families?
Since multiplication and division are related, we can
turn factors and products into
dividends and divisors! Facts
families always contain 4
different number sentences.
We’ve also learned many new
strategies to help us
understand division, including division as repeated
subtraction, using objects to divide into groups, and
drawing a picture. Last week, students travelled to
the art room to use art mediums to represent a
division problem. One student demonstrated 24
divided by 3 by dividing 24 beads onto 3 different
strings, where each string contained 8 beads.
Students have been writing our own division word
problems. We continue to enjoy working in math
stations, and look forward to mastering basic
division facts in the upcoming months!
The Saplings
Fourth Grade: We practice our math facts everyday
with a sheet called Quick Quiz that uses both
multiplication and division and we also use
various games in class to help us practice.
This has helped now that we are doing
multi-digit multiplication. Students have
learned how to multiply 2,3, and 4 digit
numbers using both expanded and standard
algorithms. We are moving into 2 digit by
2 digit multiplication using both of these
forms. Students have gained confidence in their
estimating skills and use this strategy to check for
reasonableness. We have focused on problem solving
and writing to explain our thinking. Consistent
homework has been a challenge for some, so ask
your child about their math homework!
Fifth Grade: We just finished a unit on multiplying
decimals. We multiplied two decimals and
determined where to place the decimal in the
product, how to estimate and apply our learning to
real life situations (ie. buying items at the grocery
store), and how to break apart and solve tricky word
problems. In our next unit, we will apply our skills in
division, place value, and decimals to divide using
decimals. We will be dividing by factors of ten,
estimating decimal quotients, dividing a whole
number by a decimal, and dividing two decimals.
These decimal units tie in nicely with our social
studies unit, where students are producing, pricing,
and selling products in the Birches Bazaar.
Middle School
The Leaves
Sixth Grade: This year, students have been
building a great base for their future math learning.
Students have brushed up
their skills with fractions
and decimals. Students have
also learned a TON of new
material! They have had an
in-depth look at positive
and negative integers, basic
geometry including
perimeter, area, and circles. Students also spent a
great amount of time learning about variables and
how to solve one-step and two-step variable
expressions. I’m looking forward to challenging
the students by introducing the coordinate plane!
The Trees
Seventh Grade: We had fun learning about
inequalities. We spent some time reviewing
positive and negative numbers which helped make
inequalities that much easier. Students created
posters of their own inequalities that were hung up
outside of the classroom. Right now we just started
learning about linear
equations, finding the
slope of a line in
particular. This is a
brand new topic students
have never seen before.
Students are excited to
be learning something
different and really
having a great time
doing so. A new project
that is coming up in the
near future will involve them creating a story (with
numbers) and then create a linear equation slope
line to represent what has happened during their
story. I can't wait to see what students are going to
come up with!
8th Grade - Algebra I class is moving right along
meeting the Common Core Algebra standards.
They completed solving and graphing linear
equations and moved on to
inequalities of linear
equations last month. Their
respective projects for both
concepts showed mastery
and application of the
learned material. We are
now learning how to solve systems of equations/
inequalities with methods of graphing, substitution,
elimination and special systems. Their project was
to create a business plan and find the break-even
point to understand what solving a system of linear
equation really means. Students continue to work
together in group homework checks and challenges
that require the twenty-first century skill of
collaboration and use of technology.
8th Grade: Math class has proven proficiency in
solving for and graphing slopes of linear equations.
They have mastered solving one and two step
equations with one variable and continue to
work on solving equations with two variables.
We moved on to transformations as part of
the 8th grade Common Core standards. Using
investigations and collaborative activities, the
student follow “I can statements”:
2.1 I can recognize congruent figures and
identify the corresponding angles and sides.
Monday, January 12th.
2.2 I can translate figures both vertically and
horizontally and in both directions while
maintaining congruency. Wednesday Jan
14th
2.3 I can reflect figures about the Y and X axis and
identify images from a reflected figure. Friday, Jan
16th.
We will begin our chapter project after
learning how to do dilations.
Teacher of the Month
As part of recognizing our wonderful teachers, Ms. Livingston was
chosen as our teacher of the month. She was interviewed at Forest
Forum and some of her students wrote up the following interview.
By Corrie Smith, Sarah Wall and Ali Lewis
Miss Livingston is the Saplings 2 teacher. This is her first year as a lead teacher in
an elementary classroom.
From an early age, Miss Livingston knew she wanted to be a teacher. She would
use her younger brothers as students and practice teaching them. When asked if she
has a preference
between public or
charter schools, Miss
Livingston stated, “I
don’t have a
preference, I just
wanted to be a teacher in an elementary
classroom.”
“The best part about being at The Birches is the kids and
staff’s excitement to be at school; whether learning or
teaching, it is the best school around.”
A couple of Miss
Livingston’s favorite
books include Holes
and The Secret
Garden. Her favorite
subjects to teach are
reading, math and
social studies.
Outside of school,
Miss Livingston
enjoys relaxing at the
beach where she
learned to surf this past summer. Some of her absolute favorites are the
color purple and anything chocolate.
Currently, Miss Livingston does not have any pets, but she loves dogs. The Birches Academy is lucky to
have Miss Livingston’s love and passion for teaching our students.
Other News
Here are a few other things happening at the Birches, including ways you can help
our staff and students:
Speak with an Accent
Day
Delayed Opening
- Wed., Feb. 11 Wednesday, February 11 is a
delayed opening day. School will
begin at 10:15am. Students should
arrive between 9:50 and 10:10 am.
Winter Break
- Feb. 23 - Feb 27 -
- Friday Feb 13 Try out your acting abilities! Do
you have a talent with voices and
accents? British, South Boston or
Southern - don your favorite
accent for the day.
Do you have friends who want to
send their children to The
Birches? Have them attend a
Spotlight Tour!
Snowball
Sweetheart Dance
The next tours will be:
Mon. March 9 at 5:30 pm
Tues., April 7 at 9:00 am
- Sunday, Feb 15 Sons and daughters get to invite
their parent for an afternoon of
dancing, refreshments and fun.
Searles Chapel, Windham
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Clix will be on hand taking formal
pictures.
Contact Jessica Wachsman at
[email protected] for
more information.
No School
- Friday March 13 Charter School Day
No School
- Monday March 23 Teacher Workshop
No Bus Service
- Tues. March 24 -
Please have your friends RSVP by
calling 603-458-6399 or e-mail
[email protected]
Foundation News
The Funding Formula at The Birches and charter schools
To continue the theme of our Numbers Edition, it is important to remember the state funding formula for charter
schools in New Hampshire.
Average amount cities and towns
spend to educate a student in NH
$14,000
Amount of money The Birches receives
from the state to educate our students
$ 5,498
Difference per pupil
Multiply by 196 students
$ 8,000
X 196
Difference between more the traditional
schools’ funds and The Birches
$1, 568.000!!!!!*
*Larger school districts have more infrastructure to support than The Birches. Of this one and a half million dollar deficit,
we are only asking for $80,000!
Annual Fund
Have you seen our giving tree? It is sprouting with many leaves, thanks to our many donors. The Annual
Fund is the easiest and most direct way to donate to the school. Donations are completely tax deductible.
Right now our Appeal Fund has raised over $28,736.65. Our goal is $35,000 for
the school year. Money from the Annual Fund is used to supplement the funds we
receive from the state. In other words it is used for teacher salaries, utilities, and all
the other necessities to educate Birches Academy Students!
We need each and every family to donate to the Annual Fund for us to meet our
goals. It’s easy; set up a small monthly donation through our website or send a check
directly to the school. No amount is too small. Don’t forget to find out if you
company matches! We have several companies who do. If you have any questions regarding company matching
feel free to contact Heather Ringdahl, the Foundation Treasurer.
Fill Your Cup!
Success!
Thank you to all the families & businesses that supported
our 2nd Annual Fill Your Cup Fundraiser by attending
the event, donating, or being a sponsor. Because of you
we were able to raise $19,465.87.
Save the date we will be hosting The 3rd Annual Fill
Your Cup on Friday November 20, 2015.
The Foundation of Birches Academy is a non-profit
organization that is in charge of all volunteers,
fundraising and events for Birches Academy. Without
the active fundraising endeavors, Birches Academy
would not meet its financial goals for the year. The
Foundation understands there are many different
fundraising opportunities going on at one time. We
do not ask or expect each family to participate in
them all. Please do only what you can and what
interests you and your family. We could not have our
school without the generous support of families and
our various fundraising campaigns.
Upcoming Foundation/Friends Events
Snowball Sweet Heart Dance
February 15 - 1:00 pm
You are invited to attend the Snowball Sweetheart Dance hosted
by the Friends of the Birches. The Searles Chapel, located in
Windham NH, will be turned into a Winter Wonderland. Birches
students are invited to bring a loved one, mom, dad, grandparent or
that special person in their life to spend a Sunday afternoon dancing, laughing and enjoying
light refreshments. To capture this fun time Clix portrait studio will there to take formal
portraits. Ticket price is $25 a pair, $10 each additional child, maxed at $50 a family.
The Snowball committee is looking for a few donated items to make the day perfect.
Below you will find a link to the sign up genius. If you have any questions please contact Tanya Filadoro or Tami
Engel Bouvier the event chairs.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c45aeac2ea20-food
Sponsored By Canobie Lake Veterinary Hospital
https://www.facebook.com/canobievet
The Birches Academy Night with The Monarchs
March 22 - 3:00 pm
Looking for some Sunday family fun day thing to do? Come see the Birches Academy
Chorus perform at the Monarchs game. It is a great time for all! The Monarchs prides
themselves with providing professional level ice hockey action and great family
entertainment! If you haven’t been to a game, come experience the fun! This event is
open to friends and family of all Birches students. Ticket prices are $20 per person
($31 face value) and $15 for 12 and under. Questions? Contact Tanya Filadoro at [email protected].
Flyers will be coming home with the students.
Casino Night
April 18
The Foundation of Birches Academy will be hosting its first casino night, Casino Royale on April 18. This will be an
adult-only event. Come enjoy a night of professional quality gaming, cocktails, appetizers and a dessert bar. Keep
an eye out for event flyer for ticket pricing and venue. If you would like to help out with the event please contact
[email protected] .
About The Birches Foundation:
The Foundation meets on the first Monday of the month to discuss current events and strategies on the best way to raise money
for our school. Meetings are open to the public and we look forward to seeing you there. If you cannot make a meeting and have
some questions or fundraising ideas please contact us at [email protected]
22
1:00 pm Snowball
Sweetheart Dance
15
9
8
Mon
17
10
3
Tue
Wed
18
11
DELAYED
OPENING
4
19
12
5
Thu
Fri
20
13
Speak with an
Accent day
6
21
14
7
WINTER BREAK
WINTER BREAK
WINTER BREAK
WINTER BREAK
WINTER BREAK
28
23
24
25
26
27
- NO SCHOOL - - NO SCHOOL - - NO SCHOOL - - NO SCHOOL - - NO SCHOOL -
16
7:00pm Governing Board
2
Sun
1
~ February 2015 ~
Don’t miss a thing! The calendar on the school website is updated regularly.
But here is an overview of what is going on for February:
Calendar of Events
Sat
(603) 458-6399
419 South Broadway
Salem, NH 03079
29
30
31
Thu
Fri
7
27
20
Charter School Day
28
21
14
13
- NO SCHOOL -
6
Notes:
Wed., April 8 - Delayed Opening
Sat., April 18 - Casino Night
April 27 - May 1 - No School - Spring Break
- Arts Integration
Night -
26
25
12
5
19
Wed
18
11
10
17
4
Tue
3
24
- NO BUS
Teacher Workshop SERVICE -
23
- NO SCHOOL -
22
3:00 pm Chorus at
Manchester
Monarchs Game
16
15
5:30 pm Spotlight Tour
7:00 pm Governing Board
9
8
Mon
2
3:15pm Curriculum
Meeting
7:00 pm Foundation
Meeting
Sun
1
~ March 2015 ~
Don’t miss a thing! The calendar on the school website is updated regularly.
But here is an overview of what is going on for March:
Calendar of Events
Sat
(603) 458-6399
419 South Broadway
Salem, NH 03079