March 2016 Teaching and Learning Parent Newsletter

March, 2016

Teaching and Learning Newsletter

2015 ~ 2016

Message from Heidi...

Happy Spring! As we enter into the last quarter of the 20152016 school year we still have a lot to teach and students to learn. Please encourage your child/children each week to continue to work hard and focus on their academics. It is important to have these conversations with your child/children as for many students, it is harder to focus in the last quarter, especially when the sun in shining.

NEWSLETTER

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Dear Parents/Guardians,

After spring break the M-Step testing window begins. You will receive detailed information from your principals. Please also be sure to read the article in this newsletter regarding the M-Step. More changes could be coming in the near future. Regardless of the testing, Lake Orion Schools are committed to teaching problem solving, critical thinking and strategies that can be used on any test and in every day life.

Assessment updates Reading & Writing

Heidi Mercer

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Parent Conference

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Information From the Math

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this Teaching Department and Learning Parent Newsletter to ensure you are aware of what is ATTACHMENTS happening throughout the district.

I wish everyone a safe, fun and relaxing spring break.

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2016 Parent Confer-

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ence Orion Library Events

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Writer’s Camp Flyer

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Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Newsela is a free online resource with a wealth of current event articles. This site, however, offers several perks beyond the basic online news resource. Once students sign up for a free account, they can adjust the reading level of any given article to best suit their needs. Additionally, Newsela provides a quick quiz (with adjusted reading levels) for each article. These quizzes are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Although the main site (www.newsela.com) is geared towards grades 8-13, it does offers a K-5 version for younger readers, (www.e.newsela.com). A mobile version is also available in the App Store for iOS devices.

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ASSESSMENT UPDATES State Testing Coming Soon Once each year, all students take a high-quality state assessment. State assessments provide:

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an important snapshot of student achievement at state, district and building levels valuable information to parents on their child's academic achievement important data for teachers, schools, and districts to help guide instruction.

These assessments are required by both state and federal law in order to ensure all children are learning and receiving a high-quality education.

High School Assessments:

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9th and 10th Grade Assessments - PSAT April 12, 2016 11th Grade Assessments  SAT - April 12, 2016  WorkKeys - April 13, 2016  M-STEP science and social studies - April 14, 2016

Grades 3-8 Assessments

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Grades 5 and 8 - April 11 though April 29, 2016  ELA  Math  Social Studies

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Grades 3 and 6 - April 25, 2016 through May 13, 2016 ELA Math

Grades 4 and 7 - May 9, 2016 through May 27, 2016  ELA  Math  Science

Parent Resources regarding the M-STEP Available now on the M-STEP web page - www.michigan.gov/mstep located under the Parent/Student Information section:

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Spring 2016 Guide to State Assessments

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The popular M-STEP parent guide titled; What it is, What it Means – And What it Offers has been updated and is available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

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A companion PowerPoint presentation in English has also been updated.

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This publication provides an overview of M-STEP, test elements and the upcoming Spring 2016 testing schedule.

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Connect with a good book…

One strategy to enhance reading skills and embrace life-long reading is to read more. As adults we can encourage our students down this path by connecting them with a good book.

Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the "Choices" reading lists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy. The project is cosponsored by

the International Literacy Association and the Children’s Book Council. Access a free download of the 2015 Children’s Choices, Teacher’s Choices and Young Adult Choices reading lists using this link: http://www.literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/reading-lists

For student authors, finding a publication that will publish their work can be a daunting task. Fortunately, young writers in Lake Orion are in luck. Kids Standard – a recently launched free magazine produced by nonprofit Kids Standard Publication, Inc. – is hoping to fill that void and give local students a place to showcase their work.

The monthly magazine features poetry, artwork, short stories, academic research and essays written entirely by local students in all grades. It’s a magazine for student by students, and each month, the free publication is distributed to 3rd8th grade students in the Clarkston and

Lake Orion school districts. But Kids Standard is more than an outlet for student writing; the opportunity to be published will promote literacy, a love of research and student creativity among local students.

Many Lake Orion students have already taken advantage of Kids Standard and were published. We continue to look for student work to publish in the magazine. Please talk with your student and encourage them to submit their work for publishing. If interested submit all work to Kevin Kast, kkast@lakeorion.k12.mi.us.

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Calling All Young Dragon Authors . . .

The Oakland County Reading Council’s Young Author's Conference is a great opportunity for children in grades 2 - 5 who have an interest in writing. Participants will get to showcase a published piece of writing, experience a Writer's Workshop, and meet a Michigan author! They will leave with great memories, a new Writer's Notebook, and the inspiration to keep on writing!

Young authors will need to bring a published piece of writing with them, which they have completed at school under the guidance of a teacher.

Parents must also accompany their young author. There will be a presentation for our VIPs (Very Important Parents) while their children are experiencing the writerly life!

The cost for this event is only $10.00 per child and will take place at Oakland Schools in Waterford Township on May 7th from 8:30-11:00AM. For details and registration information please visit: http://ocreadingcouncil.weebly.com/

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...from the Math Department News/Information

Puzzle of the Month

M-STEP Middle Level – Have you seen this video? Have your students watched this video? Yes, the M-STEP this year will be computer adaptive.

Students will NOT be allowed to go back to previous problems. This video is 5 minutes and 48 seconds.

Movin ‘n Groovin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOFtYNMCDc&feature=youtu.be Help Your Students Prepare for the Online M-STEP

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Classroom teachers will show the online assessment tutorial to their class as a whole so students gain a general understanding of how the online system works., using the following web address. The last two videos are the most important (Testing Basics, Basic Tools and Navigation) http://assets.drcedirect.com/States/MI/Tutorials/Student/20160125/ MStep/index.html#

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Viewing the computer adaptive test videos to familiarize students on how a computer adaptive test functions; the videos may be delivered either as a classroom presentation or students may watch the videos individually via their testing device https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOFtYNMCDc&feature=youtu.be

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Students are given the opportunity to log into the sample item sets using the testing device they will use during the actual test. Students should practice using scrap paper as well! Scratch paper is allowed in all test sessions and test parts. For students in grades 6-8, blank graph paper, which can serve as the scratch paper, is required and was provided in the online initial material order. Additional graph paper can be downloaded (www.michigan.gov/mstep). Please read the following rules regarding the scratch paper: M-STEP Scratch Paper Policy http://www.michigan.gov/documents/ mde/Scratch_Paper_20150326_485480_7.pdf

You are a highway patrol officer, seated on a motorcycle, on a curvy section of Highway 1. The posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour (mph) on this stretch of highway.

You are monitoring traffic with a radar gun. The first exit is 3.6 miles up the road. Your radar picks up a speeding car averaging 68 mph. When you try to start your motorcycle to follow the car, it won’t start. You try again and again, and soon you fear that you won’t be able to catch the speeding car before it can turn off the highway. Finally, your motorcycle starts and you begin your pursuit 30 seconds after the speeding car has passed you on the roadside.

How fast do you need to go to catch up to the speeding car? What is your average speed in pursuit? Illustrate the speed of the speeding car as well as your own motorcycle during this pursuit.

For more information about the standards addressed in this problem and to access other problems that have levels A-E, visit http://www.insidemathematics.org/ problems-of-the-month/download-problems-of-the-month

Facts You Didn’t Know about March Madness @ Amazing stats and graphics that give Math the number one seed in March Madness! http://theasideblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/march-madness-in-classroom-teaching.html Middle Level Perfect Bracket where kids determine odds of picking a perfect bracket, Greatest March Madness Program Ever and March Madness is Here Again. Engage your students in percents as they get excited about March Madness. Is getting a higher seed really an advantage? Use 30 years of data to help determine for which seeds it makes sense to pick an upset. Finally, students determine a general strategy for picking games in the first round. http://www.yummymath.com/2015/march-madness-is-here-again-3/ High School Investigation of Height and Weight: Real-Life Application of Linear Regression. Students will choose a basketball team (college or professional) and look up the team's roster on the Internet. They will then record the height and weight of each player. After calculating the linear regression model with their graphing calculators, they will predict values using their model. Students will then record the jersey number and weight for each player.

They will determine whether jersey number is a predictor for weight. TPT $2.00 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Investigation-ofHeight-and-Weight-Real-Life-Application-of-Linear-Regression-1152982 Math Madness 2016 is a contest open only to elementary, middle, and high schools in the United States for a teacher with a TenMarks Math account. To be eligible for prizes, in 4 out of 6 weeks during the contest, at least 70% of students in the class have to complete at least one math question from a TenMarks assignment and for all questions achieved at least 70% accuracy. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to participate. For more information go to https://www.tenmarks.com/mathmadness

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Learn Math Without Fear, Stanford Expert Says Stanford Professor Jo Boaler says that students most effectively learn "math facts" working on problems that they enjoy, rather than through exercises and drills they fear. Speed pressure, timed testing and blind memorization damage children's experience of math, she says.

Students learn math best when they approach the subject as something they enjoy, according to a Stanford education expert. Speed pressure, timed testing and blind memorization pose high hurdles in the youthful pursuit of math.

"There is a common and damaging misconception in mathematics – the idea that strong math students are fast math students," said Jo Boaler, a Stanford professor of mathematics education and the lead author on a new working paper.

Boaler's co-authors are Cathy Williams, cofounder of Stanford's YouCubed, and Amanda Confer, a Stanford graduate student in education.

CURRICULUM TIMELY Fortunately, said Boaler, the new national curriculum standards known as the Common Core Standards for K-12 schools de-emphasize the rote memorization of math facts. Math facts are fundamental assumptions about math, such as the times tables (2 x 2 = 4), for example. Still, the expectation of rote memorization continues in classrooms and households across the United States.

While research shows that knowledge of math facts is important, Boaler said the best way for students to know math facts is by using them regularly and developing understanding of numerical relations. Memorization, speed and test pressure can be damaging, she added.

On the other hand, people with "number sense" are those who can use numbers flexibly, she said. For example, when asked to solve the problem of 7 x 8, someone with number sense may have memorized 56, but they would also be able to use a strategy such as working out 10 x 7 and subtracting two 7s (70-14).

"They would not have to rely on a distant memory," Boaler wrote.

In fact, in one research project the investigators found that the high-achieving students actually used number sense, rather than rote memory, and the low-achieving students did not.

The conclusion was that the low achievers are often low achievers not because they know less but because they don't use numbers flexibly.

"They have been set on the wrong path, often from an early age, of trying to memorize methods instead of interacting with numbers flexibly," she wrote. Number sense is the foundation for all higher-level mathematics, she noted.

ROLE OF THE BRAIN Boaler said that some students will be slower when memorizing, but still possess exceptional mathematics potential.

"Math facts are a very small part of mathematics, but unfortunately students who don't memorize math facts well often come to believe that they can never be successful with math and turn away from the subject," she said.

Prior research found that students who memorized more easily were not higher achieving – in fact, they did not have what the researchers described as more "math ability" or higher IQ scores. Using an MRI scanner, the only brain differences the researchers found were in a brain region called the hippocampus.

But according to Boaler, when students are stressed – such as when they are solving math questions under time pressure – the working memory becomes blocked and the students cannot as easily recall the math facts they had previously studied.

This particularly occurs among higher achieving students and female students, she said.

Some estimates suggest that at least a third of students experience extreme stress or "math anxiety" when they take a timed test, no matter their level of achievement. "When we put students through this anxiety-provoking experience, we lose students from mathematics," she said.

Boaler contrasts the common approach to teaching math with that of teaching English. In English, a student reads and understands novels or poetry, without needing to memorize the meanings of words through testing. They learn words by using them in many different situations – talking, reading and writing.

"No English student would say or think that learning about English is about the fast memorization and fast recall of words," she added.

STRATEGIES, ACTIVITIES In her paper, "Fluency without Fear," Boaler provides activities for teachers and parents that help students learn math facts at the same time as developing number sense. These include number talks, addition and multiplication activities, and math cards.

Importantly, she said, these activities include a focus on the visual representation of number facts. When students connect visual and symbolic representations of numbers, they are using different pathways in the brain, which deepens their learning, as shown by recent brain research.

"Math fluency" is often misinterpreted, with an over-emphasis on speed and memorization, she said. "I work with a lot of mathematicians, and one thing I notice about them is that they are not particularly fast with numbers; in fact some of them are rather slow. This is not a bad thing; they are slow because they think deeply and carefully about mathematics."

She refers to the famous French mathematician, Laurent Schwartz, who wrote in his autobiography that he often felt stupid in school, as he was one of the slowest math thinkers in class.

Math anxiety and fear play a big role in students dropping out of mathematics, said Boaler.

"When we emphasize memorization and testing in the name of fluency we are harming children, we are risking the future of our ever-quantitative society and we are threatening the discipline of mathematics. We have the research knowledge we need to change this and to enable all children to be powerful mathematics learners. Now is the time to use it," she said.

Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Service

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ORION TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

825 Joslyn Road Lake Orion, MI 48362 Phone: 248.693.3000 Fax: 248.693.3009 orionlibrary.org

Our Mission To serve and engage a thriving community of lifelong learners Our Vision To be known for more than books

Come to the library and celebrate National Library Week with us!

April 11 – 16, 2016 Free giveaways for patrons!

Monday, April 11 Friends of the Library Day!

Tuesday, April 12

Orion Library Spirit Day!

Wednesday, April 13 Sponsored by:

Fandom Day!

Thursday, April 14 Patriotic Day!

Fri, April 15 & Sat, April 16 Western Weekend!

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ORION TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

825 Joslyn Road Lake Orion, MI 48362 Phone: 248.693.3000 Fax: 248.693.3009 orionlibrary.org

Our Mission To serve and engage a thriving community of lifelong learners Our Vision To be known for more than books

Sponsored By

Game lovers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to drop in and enjoy a wide variety of tabletop games. Feel free to bring in your favorite games to share with others!

Saturday, April 2 11:00a – 4:00p Contact reference@orionlibrary.org or 248.693.3001 with any questions

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Oakland Summer Writers’ Camp The Oakland Summer Writers’ Camp is for those who love to write! Each day is filled with opportunities to grow as a writer. Campers will learn about the craft of writing, including how to draft pieces and work with fellow writers and teachers to find golden words and just right lines. Returning students will learn how to add new layers to their writing, pushing it to the next level. Campers bring a lunch and enjoy time outside each day to eat and get to know one another. The camp also includes a walking field trip through historic, downtown Clarkston. Friends and family are invited to attend an end-of-camp celebration where students share their writing as well as take home a published anthology of student work.

Who: Writers Entering Grades 5 thru 8 Where: Clarkston Community Education Building When: M-F, 9-2:00 Cost: $275 July 11-22 (Y425-30) OR July 25-August 5 (Y455-30) (Includes all writing supplies and a Writers’ Camp T-shirt)

Registration is limited, so sign up soon through Clarkston Community Education!

Camp Directors: Jim Haugh Phyllis Ness

Affiliated with the Oakland Writing Project In Cooperation with Clarkston Community Education

“It was a great way to transition my daughter from elementary to middle school. The camp helped her build confidence in expressing herself creatively and constructively. I noticed more depth in her language arts skills as well.”

“It was really fun and I liked being able to choose what we wrote about.”

Dear Parents, We are looking forward to an awesome summer writing camp where we guide your child through a memorable writing adventure. We have many years of experience in teaching young writers.

During our writing workshop, we use popular children’s and young adult books as models in our mini lessons. Each writer receives daily, one-on-one attention as he or she develops each layer of his or her writing.

We hope you will think about sending your child to this special camp. Again this year, we are pleased to offer two sessions. Space is limited so sign up today to secure your child’s spot in our Summer Writers’ Camp. Some scholarship funds are available. Check with your school’s PTA, PTO or Community Education.

Photographs may be taken.

Registration Information: Independence Township Parks & Recreation now provides customer registrations for Clarkston Community Education.

Walk-in or Mail: Independence Township Parks & Rec, 6483 Waldon Center Dr., Clarkston MI 48346 Phone: 248-623-4326 Ext. 1 Fax: 248-620-7454 Online: www.iprs.org Click on “sign in” icon. For user name and password, email Kim at klarson@indetwp.com Make checks payable to Independence Township

Last Name: _____________________________________(First) ____________________________ (M.I.) _______ Grade (fall 2016): ____________ School:___________________________________________________________ Please circle t-shirt size:

Youth: S

M

L

XL

Adult: S

M

L

XL

XXL

Address: _______________________________ City: ____________________________ Zip:___________________ Home Phone: ________________Cell : __________________ E-mail: ______________________________________ Emergency Contact’s Name & Phone: _______________________________________________________________ Please check desired session:

□ COURSE # Y425-30 - July 11-22 □ COURSE # Y455-30 - July 25-Aug 5 Please select payment:

Cash

COURSE NAME Oakland Summer Writers’ Camp

FEE $275

COURSE NAME Oakland Summer Writers’ Camp

FEE $275

Check

Visa

MC

Visa/MC #: _____________________Exp. Date: ________ Authorizing Signature: _______________________ Emergency & Release Information: Any medical concerns? (indicate allergies, psychological or other problems) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Emergency Contact (not parents): ________________________________ _____________________________ Telephone: (H) ___________________________________ (W) _______________________________________ Family Doctor: ______________________Hospital preferred for emergency treatment ___________________ Health Insurance I.D. information: ______________________________________________________________ Release & Hold Harmless Authorizations: I authorize Clarkston Community Education to secure emergency medical and/or surgical treatment for ________________________________________ while in their care. Nonemergency medical treatment or elective surgery is not in this authorization.

Signature of Parent/Guardian: _______________________________________________________________