March, 2016

The Eagle Eye Brookdale Elementary School

394 Brookdale Drive Orangeburg, SC 29115

(803) 534-5982 http://bes.ocsd5.net

Vision-Working Together to Build a World Class School Mission-Brookdale Elementary School Exists to Ensure Academic Success for All Students

What do you know about MAP Testing? Northwest Evaluation Association™ (NWEA™) K5-5th grade students’ academic progress is measures by various assessments throughout the school year. One of the assessments our students take is MAP. What are the different NWEA™ assessments? The NWEA assessments are: Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) – These computerized tests are adaptive and offered in Reading, Language Usage, and Mathematics. When taking a MAP® test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level.

How long does it take to complete a test? Although the tests are not timed, it usually takes students about one hour to complete each MAP® test. MAP® for Primary Grades tests are typically given in two 30-minute segments.

When will my child be tested and how often? Students are tested three times each year (August-September, December, & March).

Do all students in the same grade take the same test? No. MAP® assessments are designed to target a student’s academic performance in mathematics, reading, and lan-guage usage. These tests are tailored to an individual’s current achievement level. This gives each student a fair opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do. If a school uses MAP® assessments, the computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions so that each student takes a unique test. If a school uses ALT, there may be four or five different levels of tests given in a single classroom.

What are NWEA assessments used for? MAP® assessments are used to measure your student’s progress or growth in school. You may have a chart in your home on which you mark your child’s height at certain times, such as on his or her birthday. This is a growth chart. It shows how much he or she has grown from one year to the next. MAP® assessments do the same sort of thing, except they measure your child’s growth in mathematics, reading, and language usage. The scale used to measure your child’s pro-gress is called the RIT scale (Rasch unIT). The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale much like feet and inches on a yardstick. It is used to chart your child’s academic growth from year to year.

Title 1 School Dr. Charlene Stokes, Principal Mrs. LaTonya Nelson, Assistant Principal Ms. Patricia Hampton, Guidance Counselor School Hours: 7:45-3:00 (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays) 7:45-1:30 (Tuesdays) Office Hours: 7:30-4:30 (Monday—Friday)

March, 2016

Upcoming Events

March 13 PowerSchool Generated Bi-Weekly

Progress Reports Sent Home (1st-5th Grade)

March 17 St. Patrick’s Day

March 17 3rd Nine Weeks Ends

March 24 Severe Weather Make-Up Day

School is in Session

March 25-April 1 Spring Break

2014-2015 Title 1 Allocations

Parenting--$7,631 Professional Development--$28,500 Student Support Services--$6,731 Instructional Software--$3,100 Instructional Supplies--$9,162

Personnel Salary--$54,622

The Math & Science Committee thanks all students, their parents and the faculty for participating in our 100th Day of School activities. Students were given the task of participating in a contest by creating a project that represents 100 days of school. We were blown away with the percentage of students participating and the level of creativity of each project. Brookdale has the best students, parents, and faculty/staff! The winners of the grade level contest are: Ja’Kyri Brown, Exceptional Services; De’Naisjah Brown, Pre-K; Kimarae Dash, Kindergarten; Eddie Shuler, 1st; Danielle Grace, 2nd; Jyara Murray, 3rd; Treshaun Craig, 4th; and Cameron Singleton, 5th. Each student received a $10 cash prize for winning. The school’s overall winner is

Joliyah Robinson, 1st Grade PAAL student in Mrs. Wolfe’s class. Both Joliyah and Mrs. Wolfe received $50. Prizes were provided by the school’s PTO.

Brookdale Students are 100 Days Smarter!

Mrs. Wolfe & Ms. Steinmetz-1st Grade PAAL Dr. Williams & Ms. Maitland-2nd Grade PAAL

Ms. Hodges and Mrs. Bodrick’s GT K5 Classes

The K-5 P.A.A.L. students presented social studies projects in class on Friday, January 22. The projects focused on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the students’ dreams for the future. The projects were entitled “I Have a Dream” and included the student’s name, the title of the project, his or her dreams for self, others, and/or the world along with an oral presentation. Students were very creative with their projects and brought in posters, display boards, home-made books, essays, and power-point presentations.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the 2nd grade P.A.A.L researched Dr. King and his contributions to civil rights. Students started off the week with a read aloud about Martin Luther King’s life. Throughout the week, students used their iPads and the desktop computers to do their own research on him. On Friday, students typed up their research paper and presented it to the class.

Guidance Corner

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL DENTAL HEALTH MONTH NURSE KINSEY

A smile is facial expression that most engages others so we all want our teeth to look good. Many parents have a hard time

deciding how much and when dental care is needed for their children. The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that children see a dentist by their first birthday. At this visit, the dentist will explain proper techniques for brushing and flossing. If any potential or actual problems are seen, then he will be able to take care of those issues or refer your child as needed. Start good oral habits early. Teach your kids to brush with a fluoride tooth-paste at least twice a day and floss regularly. We should all visit our dentist at least every 6 months to a year to keep our teeth clean and healthy.

The Orangeburg Community of Character is an initiative that focuses on implementing positive character throughout our county. On January 29, 2016, fifth grade students from across the county, including those here at Brookdale, assembled at Claflin University to rec-

ognize and promote this special initiative. The 5th grade Character Recognition Program is important to acknowledge great character and it is crucial to instill great character at an early age. Our own Layla Scott was chosen to represent Brookdale by writing an essay titled “Which Character Trait is a reflection of me?” Her writing exhibited great quality and passion for being respectful.

Congratulations to Layla Scott!!!

Layla Scott Which Character Trait is a Reflection of Me?

Respectful

Do you know what it means to be respectful and to show respect for others? According to the diction-ary the word respectful is the adjective form of the common word respect, which means a feeling of admira-tion. So when you behave in a way that's respectful, you're doing something to show admiration for another person or yourself. With that being said I believe the character trait that is a reflection of me is being re-spectful. For starters, I respect people and their property. I also carry myself with dignity and respect at all times. Those are only some of the things that make me respectful!

To me showing respect is a character trait everyone should possess. First of all, I respect people. For example, I respect my parents by doing what they ask, and I listen to what they have to say. I also respect others because I don’t judge them on what they do, or on what they wear and say. I try to be a helper to eve-ryone and serve as a leader and not a follower. I treat people how I want to be treated. Furthermore, I also respect people’s property. I don’t steal their things. Nor do I break their things. Finally, I respect myself. I value myself. I take care of my well-being, and I don’t take myself for granted. I strive to always care for my-self and other and to remain always respectful!

To sum it up, being a respectful person is and awesome character trait to have! The admiration I have for myself and others shows how this trait defines me. If everyone was respectful and cared for others the way I do the community and world we live in would be a much better place.

Brookdale Elementary School contributed $1440 to the annual United Way fundraising campaign. Thank you to all of our faculty, staff, students, and their families who helped us reach our goal and achieve “Gold” status! Our campaign was spearheaded by Ms. Amanda Steinmetz, our teacher of the Year!

Brookdale Elementary Gives Back

Reading is a fundamental skill that defines the academic suc-cess or failure of students. Many teachers are concerned about the numbers of elementary children who struggle with reading. Such concerns are warranted. Studies indicate that

when students get off to a poor start in reading, they rarely catch up. Struggling readers encounter negative consequences: grade retention, assignment to special education class-rooms, or participation in long-term remedial services. Further, as they progress through the grade levels, the academic distance from those who read well grows more pronounced.

At Brookdale we understand the importance of focusing on struggling readers. Teachers are having more success with reading instruction by incorporating phonics, reading for meaning, tutoring, and stu-dents reading at home to ensure that all of our students are successful readers. Proficient and strug-gling readers can and will make progress in their reading abilities when taught by informed and committed educators.

Additionally, creating a literacy rich environment is an essential part of our students’ reading devel-opment. Therefore, at Brookdale we provide an environment that allows students to have access to ro-bust literacy experiences. Children are engaged in a variety of reading and writing activities while some students are working in groups and others working individually. Students explore books of various genres not just in the library, but during other reading times.

Teachers are encouraged to engage in language and literacy activities in all elements of instruction. Conversations abound in which teachers elicit language from students. For example, our science teachers conducting a science lesson may request hypotheses, observations, and conclusions from students in an oral and written form. Teachers are also facilitating language and literacy exploration with learning games and activities that students can use one-to-one, independently, or with peers.

Our goal is simply to turn all struggling readers into successful ones, and we are well on our way to achieving that goal.

*Literacy Parent Tip*

Picture This! During your next outing or gathering, take action-packed photos, then have your child create cap-tions to go with each picture. Assemble the pictures and captions in a picture book or album, and add speech and thought bubbles to create a personalized – and probably hysterical -- graphic novel.

South Carolina College and Career READY Assessments (SC READY)

Overview of SC READY

SC READY Assessment items measure student performance on the South Carolina

College-and Career-Ready Standards. ELA and mathematics standards and

supporting documents are available on the South Carolina Department of Education

website: http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/ .

The SC READY test items are aligned to the standards for each subject and grade

level. Standards outline what schools are expected to teach and what students are

expected to learn. Academic standards also include indicators that are statements of the

specific cognitive processes and the content knowledge and skills that students must

demonstrate to meet the grade-level standards. SC READY test items are written to

assess the content knowledge and skills described in the academic standards and

indicators.

South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) Science and Social Studies Grades 4-8

The South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) is a statewide assessment administered to students in grades four and five. All students in these grade levels are required to take the SCPASS in two subjects: science and social studies.

SC Ready Assessments (Grades 3-5) Administration Date

ELA Session 1 - Writing April 26

ELA Session 2 - Reading April 27

Mathematics April 28

SCPASS (Grades 4 & 5) Administration Date

Science May 11

Social Studies May 12

Congratulations to each Faculty & Staff Member of the Month! They each received a $25 gift card as a small token of our appreciation for all they do for our students! Keep soaring high like Eagles!

Winner of Black History Bulletin Board Contest:

Ms. Inniss, TA for Pre-Kindergarten created a dynamic bulletin board that had miniature contributions made by African Americans. She won a cash prize of $100.

Spirit Night at the Mall and Celebration at the Mall

Brookdale Elementary Students partici-pated in Orangeburg Reads that is spon-sored by the Prince of Orange Mall. Stu-dents made a commitment to meet their reading goals so that they could be hon-ored at the mall. They attended Spirit Night to get them ready for the chal-lenge. Students participated in fun and games as well as taking pictures using the

superhero cutout. It was a fun filled evening that got the kids ready to soar to success. Brookdale Elementary School had over seventy students to reach their reading goals! Those students had their names placed on the wall at the mall as well as received a ribbon for their accomplishments. Congratulations students!!!

Congratulations Brookdale Eagle Readers!!!