Homestead Curriculum Committee Summary May 2010

Our meeting with Dr. Viscovich and the teacher representatives focused mainly on the progress in the development of the new report card.  The report card is targeted to be implemented for the next academic year.  Otherwise, teachers have requested that families check their homes for any reading books that may have come home in the children's "book baggies" and not have been returned.  They are attempting to collect all books and take inventory and have found many to be missing.  In addition, homework for the children will be coming to an end in early June for both kindergarteners and first graders.


 Homestead Curriculum Committee Summary - March 2010

1.      Continuity of Curriculum (First Grade):  In first grade classes, collaborative planning helps teachers develop classroom and homework assignments.  All first grade teachers use the same literature series, so each week the same skills are emphasized in every class's homework.  Similarly, each week first grade teachers cover the same math chapter as each other.  Therefore both the content and the quantity of homework are very similar for each first grade student.  One summer, all first grade teachers had the opportunity to contribute to the curriculum.  During the school year, they meet regularly to share ideas during a block at the end of the day.

2.      Continuity of Curriculum (Kindergarten): Kindergarten classes have the same guided reading books, math books, and teachers have common preps and collegial time share lessons and materials.  They are also moving towards increasing continuity in all areas of curriculum, for example are planning to all start and continue with the same letters studied next year, and more collaborative planning as in first grade.

3.      Grants/Gifts:  A Garden City family's charity is donating tech devices  (iPod touches, etc.) to Homestead and Locust.  Hemlock received the donation last year.  A Homestead teacher applied for a grant called "I Read”, to incorporate technology into the classes.

Homestead Curriculum Update- February 2010

1.      Just Right Books:  Children are encouraged to choose books to take home using the "Five Finger Rule".   Teachers guide them when choosing books.  In the first grade, books typically go home on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  In the kindergarten, there is more flexibility in choosing which days books are sent home.  They are usually sent home when books are returned, which occasionally presents a problem.  Parents are encouraged to send books back within a day or two of receiving them.  Additional books have been ordered and the teachers have more to choose from this year.

2.      Kindergarten Placement: The committee discussed the District's December cutoff date for Kindergarten and the issue of  "holding back" for fall birthdays.  The District handles this on a case-by-case basis and every effort is made to ease parents' concerns and encourage them to send their children to Kindergarten in accordance with the cutoff date.

Report Cards:  The report card committee is continuing to make progress on the development of the new report cards.  The next meeting is about Math and Social Studies and Science have been completed


Homestead Curriculum Committee Summary  December 2009

1.      Science Special: In the past, there has been a science special at the primary level, but increased P.E. mandates and budget issues moved the district to do away with the primary level science special.  Further, reincorporating a science special at this point would require hiring an additional teacher, which may not be a realistic possibility in this budgetary climate.  The possibility of creating an after-school science program at the primary level was discussed, however it was questioned whether at this age there would be sufficient interest and energy level given the time of day.  It was also mentioned that science is incorporated into the classroom curriculum by the classroom teacher.

2.      Chess Club: Chess was incorporated into the Literacy-at-Lunch Program last year on certain days at Homestead, rather than as a separate program as in Hemlock.  Homestead does not have the space to allocate for a separate chess program, but is open to alternating it with Literacy again.

3.      Swine Flu: Swine flu is being handled on a case-by-case basis by the school.  Since cases are not confirmed and swabbing is not considered 100% accurate, the school does not notify parents of possible cases in their children's class.  Attendance is being tracked daily to look for numbers and clusters (none so far at Homestead).  While cases of Swine Flu have been noted in the community, cases have been mild.   Children are permitted return to school if they are fever-free for 24 hours.