Dear
Parents and Guardians,
There
is a great deal of research that focuses on what are the characteristics of a
high achieving school. One factor that
has a big impact on student achievement is teacher efficacy. What is teacher efficacy? Teachers feel confident that they have the ability to make a positive impact on student learning. There are two ways that a teacher can build on
their efficacy in their careers.
Vicarious experiences: For example,
a teacher might observe another teacher using a particularly effective practice
and thus feel more confident that, through its use, she could be more
successful in reaching her students.
Social
persuasion: In a school setting, this could take the form of feedback that
highlights effective teaching behaviors while providing constructive and specific
suggestions for ways to improve. However,
such “persuasion” is likely to lose its positive impact if subsequent teacher
experiences are not positive. Teacher
Efficacy: What Is It and Does It Matter? By Nancy Protheroe
Some experiences
that are not positive can be a lack of support by the administration, not
having a mentor to assist teachers in developing their skills, or parent
feedback that is offensive or misplaced.
When I first took on
the interim principal’s position here at Chesterbrook one of the main concerns
I heard from parents is retaining strong teachers at the school with less
turnover. Where am I going with
this? Being in education for close to 40
years, I know how important it is to develop a positive relationship with the
parents of my students. I can’t tell you
how many nights of sleep I lost from a scathing email from a parent questioning
my abilities as a teacher. Please be
careful when emailing or talking with the teachers. I can’t put into words how much effort and
time they put into your children. We all
want what is best for the children. Communication
needs to remain positive to build a strong teacher efficacy at Chesterbrook.
Our teachers are
extremely thankful when they receive positive feedback from parents. Just the
other day, some of our teachers received notes saying ….
“What a positive
impact they are!”
“How much the
children love their teachers!”
“How safe the
children feel!”
“How much they love
coming to school!”
Teachers value
positive feedback from the parents. It
validates their hard work in creating a positive learning environment for your
children.
On
another note, some parents have been asking about some programs that the
students are experiencing this year at Chesterbrook. We wrote summaries of three programs that are
having a large impact on student learning.
The activities below are engaging
and promote creative and critical thinking skills.
Connie and Augie
Problem-Based-Learning
How do you provide independent and
collaborative learning opportunities that enable students to construct their
own knowledge through inquiry and discovery? Engage students in higher
level thinking rather than rote learning.
Problem-Based Learning of course.
Many of you may have recently seen a change on how students are doing
projects and collaborative work in the classroom. You may have hear from your child that the
class is doing a PBL or Problem-Based Learning project.
So, what is the Problem-Based Learning
model? “PBL offers K-12 teachers a structured
method to help their students build thinking and problem-solving skills while
students master important subject knowledge. It empowers students with greater
freedom while providing a process that teachers can use to guide and lead
students. Most of all, PBL transfers the active role in the classroom to
students through problems that connect to their lives and procedures that
require them to find needed information, think through a situation, solve the problem,
and develop a final presentation.”
How to Use Problem-Based Learning in
the Classroom by Robert Delisle
PBL is different from the traditional student
project. Each PBL contain the following
elements:
Inquiry-based
Opportunities
- Students construct their own
meaning through inquiry-based learning experiences.
-
Students engage in rigorous and
relevant learning experiences that support the development of Portrait of a Graduate skills.
- Teachers facilitate students’
investigation of open-ended questions.
Student Engagement
- Students have a voice in how and
what they learn.
- Students engage in authentic
experiences and can make real-world connections.
- Students are engaged in and lead
discussions related to content knowledge that allows for cross-curricular
connections.
- Teachers design learning
activities that encourage higher-order thinking.
Collaboration
- Students have opportunities to
collaborate with a variety of groups.
- Students have opportunities to
collaborate with students, teachers, and others in virtual and physical
learning environments.
- Teachers create flexible learning
structures that promote opportunities for student collaboration.
Public Presentation
- Students
share their products and solutions with a real world audience, where they have
the opportunity to discuss their project and choices and field questions from
the audience.
- Students
will practice real-world communication skills, considering how to send their
message visually and verbally. These
skills will be invaluable to their future success and employment.
- Student
options may be sharing with peers, or a larger audience from the community,
perhaps even real-world professionals in fields related to the project.
Problem-Based
Learning is the process of addressing a real-life challenge in Colleges and
Universities, Businesses, Medicine, Engineering, Government, etc. PBL is what is happening in Fairfax County
Public Schools.
Math
Workshops
Workshop
Model is a collaborative approach in which students work together to solve a
mathematical problem. The structures in this model do not resemble traditional
delivery of math instruction where the teacher stands at the front of the
classroom and lectures the mathematics concept for the majority of the class
period. In Math Workshop, the lessons
are designed to provide students with smaller time periods of focused
instruction with an emphasis on their needs. Students receive whole class
need-specific instruction, followed by small group independent/collaborative
worktime. Students are assigned engaging activities, stations, and guided
math discussions with the teacher in small groups. The model is similar
to Readers and Writers Workshop program that has been in use at Chesterbrook
for a number of years. This model uses flexible groups. Students are engaged at all times in
mathematics practice and reflection. It provides the teacher with an opportunity
to closely observe student work and provide strong support for struggling
students.
Below is one of our teacher’s comments on the advantage of
using the Math Workshop Model:
“The workshop model
allows me to instruct students on grade level material in a whole group, while
simultaneously differentiating instruction and materials for students while
they are in their workshop stations. This year, Mathematics Workshop is a focus
of mine due to the high ability level of my class in particular. The workshop
model allows me to instruct all students on math, yet supplement by providing
enrichment above grade level for high achieving students, on grade level
material for students who are proficient and modified grade level and small
group instruction for students who are in need of improvement.”
Elementary schools in
FCPS and in our McLean Pyramid are embracing the Math Workshop Model of
delivering mathematics instruction. Teachers at the four local elementary
schools attended a training on “Best Practices” using this model.
Lucy Calkins
The elementary schools in the McLean Pyramid have been
focused on the work of Lucy Calkins over the past few years. Lucy Calkins
is a former elementary school teacher and professor from Columbia University
who has developed curriculum to teach both writing and reading. The past
two summers, The Pyramid hosted trainers to come to McLean to provide a
workshop for our teachers.
The Lucy
Calkins’ Workshop model in reading and writing provide students with directed
as well as independent choices. Student
collaboration is built into the lessons, including partner assignments and
small group conversations. Students
spend the bulk of their time reading and writing with time to
take notes and partake in discussions.
Similar to
the Math Workshop model, the Lucy Calkins’ program is designed around focus or
mini lessons often including teachers designing anchor charts with the
students. Units are designed to allow
choice within the program where students choose what they are reading within a
genre unit and projects based around authentic products such as companion
guides, TED Talk style share-outs, writing to be published for peers, etc.
Lucy Calkins
writes, “Every unit has a couple of texts that kids read and reread and turn
inside-out, returning to those texts many times. Kids work to figure out how
the author made those texts and what can we learn from them. The second connection between reading and
writing is that it is also important for kids to learn to write literary essays
about specific texts.”
The mission of
the Lucy Calkins workshop is to help young people become avid and skilled
readers, writers, and inquirers. This
will guarantee that students will become lifelong learners with the skills to
be successful in secondary school and beyond.
Wednesday, May
2, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom in McLean
Buy your tickets
here (https://voicelessons.brownpapertickets.com) for this essential guide to
the art of talking with children of all ages. Learn how to cultivate the art of
conversation – from infancy to adulthood – in an age of hurry, worry, and
digital distraction. Presented by the Safe Community Coalition, Dr. Mogel is
known for combining cutting-edge psychological research with timeless wisdom in
guiding parents through the rough waters of child rearing in today’s
competitive world.
In her new book,
Voice Lessons for Parents: What to Say,
How to Say it, and When to Listen, Dr. Mogel shows us how a change in voice
can transform communication and ease the relationship between parents and
children. Her research-based guidelines help parents communicate with more
warmth, respect, and sincerity, as well as foster open parent-child
relationships that will help ensure our children’s success in the classroom and
in life. Find more information at the Safe Community Coalition website (mcleanscc.org).
This Thursday, March
1, join FCAG and TJHSST students for a moderated panel discussion:
TJ Experiences
Panelists: Several
Current Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Students
Date: THURSDAY, March 1, 2018, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Place: Pender Professional Center, Room # 254
[3901 Fair
Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033]
Come get YOUR
questions answered about TJ from a panel of experts -- the kids
themselves!
Students and parents
are all invited. This event is free and open to the public. It is hosted by the
Fairfax County Association for the Gifted.
FCAG is a non-profit,
parent and student volunteer organization of families in Fairfax County. We
support advanced academic students in the area. For more information, please
visit us at:
https://www.facebook.com/FairfaxCountyAssociationfortheGifted/
www.fcag.org
Practice records due at the end of the month (2/28). Don’t
forget to check Blackboard for practice record requirement.
Follow our twitter for updates on what’s happening in music
class @ChesterGenMusic
6th Grade
We have been working on a traditional English folk song,
Shepherd’s Hey. We learned to play it on recorder and accompanying xylophone,
drum, and finger cymbal parts. We are also learning the traditional dance that
goes with it that uses a fancy dance move called the Adderbury Hey. Don’t
forget about practice records!
5th Grade
We have learned a lot about musicals and Broadway. We have
picked our song for our musical theater themed concert on MARCH 21ST.
PLEASE mark this day off on your calendars if you haven’t already. We will
continue to rehearse the songs and movements for these pieces in the coming
weeks. No recorder practice records until after the concert.
4th Grade
We’ve wrapped up our unit on Twelfth Night and Wassail and
moved on to new things. We are now learning about composers Mozart and
Beethoven as well as their famous works. We will watch the complete
Metropolitan Opera performance of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” as some of us get
our first taste of opera! No practice records for February.
3rd Grade
We are continuing to work hard on the recorder! We have all
learned B, A, G, and E now. We also earned our first recorder belt (if you
hadn’t heard yet). Please continue to encourage your students to practice at
home. Practice records are due at the end of the month. Check Blackboard for
due dates and extra copies of practice records.
2nd Grade
We just completed our unit on instruments of the orchestra.
Students can now identify instruments by looking at them and hearing them. We
also know which family they belong to. Along with this, we learned the story of
Peter and the Wolf and how to match instruments to their characters.
1st Grade
We have been working hard on learning our musical lines and
spaces in preparation for our mallet unit that’s coming up. We’ve also learned
Chinese songs for the Chinese New Year. We also learned about lion and dragon
dances. You can practice lines and spaces online using our Blackboard page!
Kindergarten
We have been working on really tricky note name packets.
We’ve learned how to draw our own whole and half notes and rests as well as
placing them on lines and spaces. This is hard stuff! We’re also learning the
“singers secrets” to being AMAZING singers. We’ve learned 3 so far- how to take
a good breath, “Listen, Think, Then Sing,” and always use your head voice.
Choir
5th and 6th grade choir are preparing
music for their musical theater themed concert on March 21st. Please put this
date on your calendar! More details to come.
This year the Chinese New Year falls on February 16th
and it is the Year of Dog. (狗年) We talk about cultural topics on the Chinese New Year traditions,
singing several songs, including the Good New Year, Gong-Xi Ge (Congratulations
to You Song), and create some New Year crafts. Please check out the blackboard
and let's learn and have fun together!
Happy Chinese New Year!
新年快乐!
(xin nian kuai
le!)
Pik Kei (Peggy) Leung (1st, 4th, 5th
& 6th grades)
Yina Chang ( 2nd & 3rd
grades)
***Check out the website below for
more information about Washington, DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia Chinese
New Year events with a Chinese New Year Parade, Chinese Dragon Dances, live
musical performances, and more. https://www.tripsavvy.com/chinese-new-year-dc-1040052
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Wash Your Hands!
- before eating or touching food
- after using the bathroom or blowing your nose or coughing
-
after touching pets or other animals
- before and after visiting a sick relative or friend
Remember these handy hints:
-
Use warm water, work up a lather, wash for 15 seconds (sing Happy Birthday).
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February is Heart Awareness Month!!
The 5 Components Fitness
Cardiovascular Endurance – Having a strong heart and lungs enables a person to perform aerobic activities like jogging, biking, hiking and swimming for longer periods of time without getting tired.
Muscular Strength – The maximum amount of force a muscle can produce against some form of resistance. Having strong muscles not only helps your body perform basic daily activities but also increases muscle tone, reduces stress on joints and prevents injuries.
Muscular Endurance – Unlike muscular strength, muscular endurance refers to a muscle’s ability to perform more repetitions for longer before getting tired. Practice lifting weights/objects at a lesser resistance for more repetitions.
Flexibility – Is the ability to bend and twist muscles and joints through a full range of motion without pain. Be sure and stretch each day after exercising.
Body Composition – The relationship of the amount of fat mass vs. fat free mass in a person’s body. Fat free mass consists of bones, muscles, organs and body fluids. It’s important to remember that a well-balanced diet and regular physical activity has a positive effect on a person’s body composition.
Understanding these components, participating in regular physical activity and demonstrating healthy eating habits will help you and your family build and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
Healthy Regards,
Bethany Sink and Jay Levesque
Physical Education
3rd Quarter in PE:
Dance, Jump Rope, Fitness, Hockey, Volleyball
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Upcoming Events
March 8th - New Kindergarten Orientation
March 11th - Day Light Saving's Time Starts (Don't forget to change clocks ahead)
March 13th - All County Chorus Rehearsal
March 14th - 4th Grade Colonial Day
March 16th - 5th Grade to National Aquarium
March 17th - Fun Fair
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