Eagles
Lower Elementary (Ages 6-9)
Distance Learning Plan
The Eagles are using Canvas to monitor educational goals for the 2020 - 2021 school year. To access the courses, resources, and daily plan please click the link below.
Eagle Classroom
Work in the Eagle classroom involves the transition from concrete to more abstract learning. Reading fluency, refining handwriting, computer keyboarding, math operations, and memorization offer challenge areas for the 6 to 9 year old. They enjoy their first lessons in astronomy, physics, botany, zoology, physical and social geography, and engage in research projects, independent studies, and creative arts. Eagles work to perfect the arts of self-government and conflict resolution.
The Great Lessons of the Cosmos are the focus of the cultural and science curriculum. The care of the environment including plants and animals, becomes more solely the child’s responsibility. Prioritizing work, home/school communications, and commitment to group endeavors are also seen as each child’s growing responsibility.
Accountability
All students utilize the work board in the center of the classroom to help them track their tasks and goals, when not in lessons. Some students benefit from a visual schedule that they can follow to help them sequence their day. All students are scheduled for lessons of Language Arts, Mathematics, Intervention, Geography, Science and Book Club groups. Students use a filing system to determine whether work they have is finished or unfinished. They can store work that is unfinished in their designated yellow folder, and work that is finished in their designated green folder. Every few weeks, finished work will be sent home in the zipper pouch. We encourage you to go through the finished work with your child, as they can tell you about different pieces of their exciting curriculum. Please help your child remember to bring back their zipper pouch to school, so they can keep getting more finished work sent home. We will not send any work if the zipper pouch or school bag is not brought to school, as it is the students sole responsibility to bring these items.
Student Responsibilities
Each child is responsible for his work space and materials used for each task. In addition, each child is given a shelf area to clean and maintain. Special jobs are “auctioned” about every four weeks—giving each child nine different types of community responsibility ranging from animal care to filing.
Transporting finished work, remembering the lunch box, caring for personal articles of clothing and transporting school/ home communications are considered to be responsibilities of each student. Please encourage your child to return all home-school communications and empty portfolios in a respectful manner.
If your child appears to be having difficulties embracing challenges, a conference about the avoidance behavior will be forthcoming. The teacher continually tries to re-establish goals and direction for the unmotivated student. Believing firmly that each child does want to learn, it is the task of the teacher to guide each student toward purposeful work. Observing is often a safe option. Interfering in the work of others will not be tolerated.
A designated school bag and a special portfolio case is issued to each child. Your child should carry this bag to and from school each day. School-to-Parent communication, your child’s finished work and wet or soiled clothing will be carried home for your attention. Communication to the head teachers or the office, replacement clothing, items of interest intended to be shared with the teacher and the whole class might be transported to school. If a child needs extra equipment and/or clothing which is intended for after school activities, please use an additional bag for this purpose; otherwise, no other bag should be brought to school.
Birthdays & Celebrations
Birthday celebrations may be arranged with the classroom head teachers. Please come at 11:10 am. Classmates are invited to ask questions of the birthday child. (Such as what is your favorite fruit, book, vacation or what was the funniest thing that happened when you were three?) The birthday ritual will precede lunch. If you wish to bring a treat to share we will enjoy it with our lunch. All treats must be Smart Snack approved or will not be served. If you are having trouble making arrangements for appropriate snacks, the Kitchen would be more than happy to help your child prepare a celebration tray.
Lunch
Students can choose to pack their lunch or cater in our Gourmet Grub School Lunch Program. There are certain lunch guidelines we utilize to encourage appropriate eating etiquette. All students, regardless of if they are packed or catered will use a tray to place their lunch items on. If they are packed, the student will unpack the contents of their lunchbox onto the tray to place their lunch box aside to enjoy the faces of those around them and not have a lunchbox blocking them. All items that students pack in their lunch will be sent home. To be clear about what the student did and did not eat, we send all contents home – opened and unopened. In the past, students have packed a “trash bag” to send their contents home with them to keep the lunchbox from becoming messy. Other families have vowed to reduce their carbon footprint and packed everything in resealable containers that could be used multiple times. No beverages are permitted, as we have water and milk available to students. We also do not allow students to consume candy while at school.
Assessments
All Eagle students will participate in a formal assessment twice a year. The assessment’s purpose is to determine whether students are reading at grade level. The Eagle team does not use formal assessments results in determining coming, staying or moving into the next classes. The formal assessment that first and second grade students will use in the Eagle class, is called the Diagnostic Reading Assessment. We chose this assessment because it tests students on a level that they are at, rather than what is prescribed by age or grade level. The 3rd graders take the English Language Arts test provided by the State of Ohio, twice a year. They will also take a Mathematics assessment in the Spring. It is important to understand that if a student does not pass the 3rd Grade ELA test, unless they have different arrangements on an IEP, we will not be able to move them onto 4th grade as a state label. If you have concerns about your child’s reading progress, please contact the head teacher of the classroom. There are tutoring opportunities available. All Eagle students will receive academic and social-emotional growth reports four times a school year to help provide insight to families. Conferences are encouraged.
Electronics
Students do NOT need any electronic devices sent with them to school. Eagles are not permitted to bring any electronic device to school. If your child needs a cell phone for an after school safety reason (on the bus, walking home from school) please contact the Head Teacher to come up with a safe plan that protects the students’ device and the student from distractions.