Elementary Social Studies Update

 Hello Elementary Community!

We are SOOOO excited to share our progress on Elementary Social Studies with you.  Our team has been working very (emphasis on very) hard to build a scope and sequence for each trimester and the corresponding unit lessons associated with it.

Today, I would like to update you with some answers to some questions shared with our team from you all after last months site update.  Many teachers really want to know, are we really going to have actual, real, tangible resources to use to scaffold our instruction?  It may seem almost unbelievable, but it is actually and totally true!

Students will be able to use and experience a textbook, an inquiry journal/workbook and a completely digital experience in which digital text and inquiry journal/workbook are available.  Teachers will use and experience a print Teacher's Edition, a digital teacher's edition full of videos, screen/slide presentations, interactive vocabulary activities, songs, plays and so much more!

In addition to these resources, your SDW Elementary Social Studies Team is providing you a curriculum with common lessons and assessments!  A sample of this curriculum is linked below (we picked 2nd grade-well, because it is "in the middle").

 2.3 Social Studies Unit Template .pdf

Please take a look at some of the features here and check out the sample curriculum! (And if you know someone working hard after school on this, treat them right and give a shout out (and a sticker!)!  We thank them so much!)

Teacher's Edition

Student Book

Student Inquiry Journal 

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Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) Features 5 & 9

We are excited to continue sharing a quick overview of the 10 features of the PCL model and how the features are utilized across our district. This post highlights features 5 and 9. 

Feature #5 Well-Designed Literacy Plan
Impact of Feature: By developing a plan for continuous literacy improvement, with short and long-term goals, as well as benchmarks for progress monitoring, a school can ensure that all stakeholders are focused on the same goal. Your literacy SAIL goal and plan can be a well-designed literacy plan.
The K-1 team at Prairie analyzes running records together, as part of their building SAIL goal and literacy plan around small group instruction.	Secondary principals and coaches debriefing with lead teachers on classroom observations which center on our gradual release of responsibility instructional framework. These debriefs are critical in validating and empowering all of us as learners.
“Developing each teacher’s expertise is crucially important for the success of students and thus, the success of the system. There is a cumulative effect of being taught in successive years by expert teachers.” -Changing Minds, Changing Schools, Changing Systems pg 8

Feature # 9 High Standards
Impact of Feature: Helping every child learn to read, write, and think is a moral imperative.  When teachers know the rigor of their grade level standards, provide explicit instruction at that level, and tailor support for students who need assistance in achieving the standards, we ensure access to grade level standards for all students.
3rd grade teachers from across the district collaborate to deepen their understanding of the 2020 WI Reading Standards.	High school English-Language Arts team deconstructing the 2020 WI Overarching Statements, along with connecting them to the WIDA Guiding Principles.
“Every student should have access to grade-appropriate assignments, strong instruction, deep engagement, and teachers with high expectations, every day, in every class—regardless of their race, ethnicity, or any other part of their identity.” - The Opportunity Myth pg. 6

DreamBox Mathematicians of the Month

Each month all buildings who have classrooms averaging at least 5 lessons each week are entered into the random drawing to be recognized. The DreamBox Mathematicians of the month are from Rose Glen. All of the classrooms Kindergarten through third grade are averaging at least five lessons per week which is terrific! Congratulations for all of the hard work in math and in DreamBox! 

Here are pictures of all of the excited students! 

 

2022-23 Professional Development Calendar

As the 2021-2022 school year is coming to an end; planning for the 2022-2023 school year is in full swing! The School District of Waukesha values professional learning and we offer professional development that aligns with the district's vision for teaching and learning and with student needs. Linked below you will find the 2022-23 Professional Development Calendar. Your principals will also be sharing this information via building communication mediums. The 2022-23 SDW Professional Learning Guide will be published and shared online via the SDW webpage very soon, stay tuned! 

In Partnership,

Tiara Rogers

Director of Equity and Educator Development 

2022-23 PD Calendar

DreamBox Acknowledges Waukesha's February Implementation

This past week, we received this flyer from DreamBox to celebrate the fantastic implementation and impact they have seen from our students.  Congratulations to the buildings, grade levels, and students! 

The DreamBox trophy is traveling to Bethesda for the month of February! Here are pictures of Bethesda's happy classrooms who had the most lessons overall for the month.

Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) Features 10 & 1 Highlights

Over the next several months we are excited to incrementally share a quick overview of the 10 features of the PCL model and how the features are seen across our district. This post highlights features 10 and 1. Be on the lookout, on April 1st (no fooling!) we will highlight features 2 and 3.

 

Feature #10 Spotlighting and Advocacy
Impact of Feature: Helps stakeholders understand what we are doing, why we are doing it, and the positive impact our work is having on students. This feature is a celebration of our hard work and the results so we can shine a spotlight on the impact and results.
Elementary	Secondary
Principal, Jessica Barry, PCL/literacy coach Erica Maurer, and model classroom teacher Melissa Spellman share their PCL journey with the school board.	Sharing of powerful student discourse and teacher co-planning/co-teaching from Mike Deml’s English class at Waukesha North High School across multiple platforms (Twitter, Secondary Literacy Update, and CONNECT).
“Spotlighting and advocacy are techniques for dissemination of information on the model, including school visitations, news releases, research articles, conference presentations, and other advocacy efforts.” -Changing Minds, Changing Schools, Changing Systems pg 4

Feature #1 Framework for Literacy
Impact of Feature: When teachers learn and develop evidence-based instructional strategies rooted in research and collect evidence of the impact on student learning, we ensure the needs of all learners are met while adhering to an inquiry-based curriculum.
3rd Grade Literacy Curriculum Framework Our SDW Elementary Literacy Frameworks provide literacy teachers with an overview of each unit of study along with the necessary curriculum, content, and resources to effectively teach all areas of literacy.	8th grade At-A-Glance Curriculum Resources Our SDW Middle School At-A-Glance Curricular Resources provide literacy teachers with an overview of each unit of study (common pre- and summative assessments, reading and writing mini-lessons, background knowledge building ideas, and literature discussion group plans).
“An aligned curriculum enables students to notice relationships among knowledge sources, while simultaneously providing opportunities for repetitive practice that leads to automaticity and deeper understanding.”  -Changing Minds, Changing Schools, Changing Systems pg 3

AVID Champions

What does it mean for work to be meaningful? What does it mean for work to be manageable?

Have you ever had this conversation with your grade level team, your PLC, your SAIL team, your school?

AVID represents the visual in this framework. When educators believe in students, learning and confidence are activated. When schools and teachers focus on rigorous instruction and believe in students' potential, student outcomes improve.

What does it truly mean to have our students Write, Inquire, Collaborate, Organize and Read?

Our Principals engaged in learning today with Brett Bowers from AVID and we hope you are able to have this conversation in the near future to answer the essential question: 

How can your AVID implementation have as meaningful an impact on students' college and career readiness as possible while still being manageable for staff?