From Anne Bezner, Elementary Principal
It is summer time in Okinawa and even though we are in between school terms, there is still quite a lot of activity on campus! Summer School is drawing to a close and our plans and preparations for the 2010-2011 school year are nearly complete. This year we look forward to the launch of a new program in Kindergarten for three year olds, K3. Applications are still being accepted but space is limited to only ten students. Please see the link at the top of the page for more information on the program and how to apply.
New families are arriving on island weekly and many new students will be joining our OCSI family this year in every grade level. Returning students are encouraged to continue to keep their math and reading skills sharp by logging onto Mathletics daily and by choosing a wide variety of books that will inspire creativity with language. If you are in search of interesting and exciting books, here are some titles that I have been reading this summer.
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
The Land of Elyon Series by Patrick Carmen
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
Curriculum Focus for 2010 - 2011
Academic Vocabulary - In pursuit of the highest standards in educational excellence, our department has made grade level specific academic vocabulary a curriculum focus for this year. This means that each student in elementary from K4 to 5th grade will build an academic vocabulary notebook as they progress through the year and work through the essential vocabulary that has been targeted for their grade. You can download your child’s vocabulary list by clicking on the link to the right of the screen.
Mathematics - Two equally important pillars of our mathematics instruction are 1) the building of critical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving skills through Everyday Mathematics in the classroom, and 2) the increased speed and recollection of basic math facts gained through student practice on the Mathletics web site. Mathletics can be accessed online from home by clicking on the link on the left of your screen. Please help to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom and make “Mathletics time” a part of your child’s daily homework routine.
Renaissance Place Home Connect - Do you wonder how many Accelerated Reader points your child has earned? This information is now accessible due to our purchase of an online license for Accelerated Reader. You can click on the link located on the left, log on with your child’s username and password, and keep current with all of the latest test results. Students and parents can also check the AR database for book titles, levels, and points available within the Accelerated Reader system. A portion of the funds earned from the ADVANCE Campaign helped to purchase this new service for you.
New Technology - The focus for our ADVANCE Campaign fundraising for the previous school year was increasing technology use in the classroom and labs. Your hard work during the Walkathon, School Bazaar, and the funds donated in the Friends Campaign purchased 9 new iMacs for the elementary computer lab, 5 new projectors, and 5 new ELMO’s. Thanks to you, each grade level, from K4 - 5th grade, is now able to cooperatively study maps, microscope slides, math manipulatives, video clips, and much, much more, on the big screen in the classroom. These new additions to our classrooms have excited students and teachers! Thank you for helping us to create visually powerful lessons that engage every student!
Sincerely,
Anne Bezner, Elementary Principal
