Davis Elementary fourth graders load busses for Y-Camp, a three day environmental camping experience at the YMCA Camp near Boone. Fourth grade students learn about nature while they are building relationships with their classmates. The exciting camping experience is made possible through parent, PTO, and community donations.
Third grade students learned about careers when parents and other community workers talked with their classes. The speakers talked the kind of work their job entailed and how reading and math are used in their daily work and how important it is to work hard and do well in school. Speakers included a farmer, a trucker, a historian, a chaplain, an accountant, a sales manager, an occupational therapist, a soccer coach, and a college professor. Another speaker helped students learn about making commercials, as shown in the picture of Mrs. Hughes and her class above.
Davis Elementary students participated in a service project on April 19, 2011, to benefit residents of Japan. The earthquake and tsunami left Japan with many unfulfilled needs. Students and staff folded paper cranes that will be sent to Japan and business supporters will send clothing to Japan for each crane that was folded. Over 2000 paper cranes were folded at Davis as part of this service project.
Jacob Hull, Levi Fritz, and Jacob Pickens, third graders at Davis, demonstrate the 3 R's as part of the mini musical practice.
Students demonstrate SuccessMaker, a reading software program, for their parents during Come Read with Me. 
Weston Shirk, Davis 4th grader, reads to his mother during Come Read with Me. 
David Ford, elementary counselor, portrays the Wizard of Wisdom and gives Barb Van Ersvelde who is portraying the lion, advice for taking the ITBS tests.Davis Plans for Success
Davis Elementary was designated a School in Need of Assistance (SINA) for this school year as a result of ITBS scores. Students and teachers have been working to implement changes as detailed in our School In Need of Assistance action plan. Actions include teachers carefully analyzing student Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test results and targeting instruction for individual students based on the student’s test results. Students and parents have learned about the MAP test results and the low and high areas for each student. Students are regularly using the SuccessMaker reading software program for additional practice on reading skills. The elementary guidance counselors have taught guidance lessons focused on academic success and test taking skills to all third and fourth graders as well as teaching additional lessons on test taking skills to small groups of students during lunchtimes. Davis teachers performed a skit to help the students prepare for the ITBS tests and the Davis Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) provided snacks during the ITBS tests.
Another fun learning activity that was part of our action plan was our Come Read with Me night on March 7. Over 400 free meals were served during the event. The Drake Library provided information on their programs, students demonstrated reading strategies for their parents, families created posters for their favorite books, and computer programs were shown to families. Grinnell College basketball players were guest readers for the event and high school students and other community members volunteered to help with the activities. Prizes, including a kindle and gift card, were awarded for students who participated in the activities. It was a very successful evening and one we think made a difference for our students. We are currently waiting for the results of this year’s ITBS tests to see how our efforts have paid off.
Davis Elementary News
February, 2011
Nancy Beck, Principal
The snow has melted or at least most of it and we’re hoping spring is on the way. We are left with very muddy playgrounds and still cold weather. Please help encourage your children to continue to dress for the cold weather – warm coats are still needed and it’s not warm enough for those shorts yet!
Come Read with Me
Plans are continuing for Come Read with Me on March 7, 5-8 pm. I hope you have made plans to join us that evening to learn about reading strategies, SuccessMaker reading software, other computer programs and websites and the Drake Library. Your Davis student will also choose a book to take home and you’ll have opportunities to enjoy listening to Grinnell College athletes read aloud and also to create a favorite book poster. Those of you who RSVPed will also be able to join us for a meal that evening. It should be a fun night!
New Twitter Account for Alerts
Grinnell-Newburg now has a twitter account for alerting people to closings, late starts, and early dismissals. It's GNNotify and it's also posted on the Grinnell Newburg homepage.
Registration for 2011-12 Kindergarten Students
2011 - 2012 kindergarten registration will be held on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at Bailey Park Elementary School, from 1:00 - 6:00 p.m., for children who will be five years old on or before September 15, 2011. All open enrolled families may attend to register their child. Please bring proof of legal address, the child's birth certificate, and the child's immunization record. Questions? Please contact Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal, 641-236-2790.
Upcoming Events:
March 7 Come Read with Me, 5-8 pm, meal served from 5-7 pm
March 8 PTO meeting, 6 pm, Media Center
March 16,17,18 Early dismissals, Parent-Teacher conferences
March 28 - April 1 No School, Spring Break
3rd grade students in Mrs. Arseneault’s class chose a famous person, someone who inspired them, someone they admired or a favorite sports figure and wrote a biography about that person. Students then dressed up as their famous person and presented the biography to their classmates and parents. Bella Amador-Lacson, shown during her presentation, chose Jenny Arsenseault as her famous person.
4th Grade students on their field trip to Neal Smith National Wildlife Preserve learn how bison used to roam the prairies. The bisons’ decreasing numbers were related to transcontinental railroads as well as the United States government’s attempts to move Native Americans further west, allowing for westward expansion. This field trip is part of the fourth grade focus on nature that culminates with the three day Y-Camp event in May.
Davis Elementary teachers performed a skit to help students know what they can do to perform well on the ITBS tests. ITBS tests will be given at Davis Elementary on Feb. 8 and 9. We've talked with the students about getting a good night's rest, a good breakfast, and working hard to do their best.
Flashlight February
Third grade students continue their focus on reading with “Flashlight February”. Students wore their pajamas to school and read with their flashlights, another way to encourage enjoyment of reading. “Flashlight February” is part of the Readers’ Annual Book Read Across Iowa (RABRAI) in which third grade students record pages read and progress across Iowa based on the pages read. Students are making good progress and teachers anticipate all students will cross Iowa by the end of the school year.
4th grade students in Mrs. Allen’s classroom learned about cultures and their ethnic backgrounds as part of their social studies class work. As a culminating activity the students each finished one quilt square and squares were then combined for a class heritage quilt. The picture shows the completed quilt.
Davis Elementary Newsletter
Nancy Beck, Principal
January, 2011
Teachers and students have been very busy at Davis Elementary. Students are working hard on reading skills in their reading classes and using the SuccessMaker reading software program. Students took the Measures of Progress (MAP) test in the fall and have just completed the MAP testing again. Results will be available soon and teachers will then discuss the results with the students and inform parents of the results. Knowledge of the results by students and parents is very important. Students set goals based on their strengths and weaknesses, teachers use targeted instruction to help students improve their skills, and parents need to provide support to the students and teachers.
Education City Software
We have recently purchased and had students begin using a math software program, Education City. This math program provides additional practice in math skills for students and we’re hoping the additional practice helps students improve their math skills.
Iowa Tests of Basic Skills
Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) are set for February 8 and 9. We encourage all students to get a good night’s rest before the tests, eat a good breakfast, and come to school with the attitude of doing their very best work on the tests. Please do what you can to make sure your children are at school for the tests – it’s very difficult to make up the tests and we must have all students take the tests. The results of the ITBS tests are used to determine the School in Need of Assistance (SINA) status for schools. We have worked very hard this year to make changes and want to see those changes pay off so we will no longer be labeled a SINA school. We know there are many good things occurring at Davis and we want all to know that students are receiving an excellent education at Davis.
Third Grade Reading Promotion
The third grade team is continuing their promotion of reading through their Readers’ Annual Book Read Across Iowa (RABRAI) program. Students are expected to read at home, report their minutes of reading, and move across Iowa with their reading minutes. Marcus McIntosh from KCCI first came to Davis to read to our students as part of this program. Grinnell College basketball players have also come to Davis to read to third grade students and more special events are planned. Students become better reading by practice, practice. Please keep encouraging your child to read!
Fourth Grade Mystery Unit
Fourth graders are participating in a mystery unit at this time. Students are learning about the process of analyzing a mock crime scene. Students are reading mystery books as well as discussing clues and forensics of the crime scene. Fourth graders are encouraged to share information with their parents as they work to solve the crime! Who committed the crime?
Upcoming Events
February 2 Early dismissal for teacher professional development
February 16 Early dismissal for teacher professional development
February 21 President’s Day, NO School unless used for snow make up day
February, 2011 4th Grade Field trip to Neal Smith Preserve, date to be determined – fourth grade parents will be receiving more information in the near future
March 2 Early dismissal for teacher professional development
March 16,17,18 Parent-Teacher Conferences
March 28-April 1 Spring Break, no school
Watch for more information on READING NIGHT --- planning is currently under way!
Will the fourth graders determine the guilty party?Fourth Grade Mystery Festival at Davis
Davis Fourth Graders were surprised when they arrived at school recently to find the third floor hallway had apparently been the scene of a crime! Students later learned that the “staged” crime scene is part of their science unit, known as Mystery Festival. During this unit students are writing “Guess Who?” paragraphs about themselves and reading mystery books as well as taking notes, making detailed drawings of the crime scene, and analyzing suspects and clues. Students use their observation skills, deductive reasoning and logic skills and learn about forensic science as they solve the mystery. Students are also learning that good detectives do not jump to conclusions and things are not always as they appear.
Elementary Principal’s Report to Grinnell-Newburg School Board
January 12, 2011 Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal
| 2010 – 2011 District Annual Improvement Goals: 1. Decrease the percentage by 50% of nonproficient students in grades 4, 8, and 11 as compared to their matched cohort FAY percentile scores in grades 3, 7 and 10 in reading comprehension and mathematics, and in grades 8 and 11 as compared to their matched cohort FAY percentile scores in grades 7 and 10 in science, as measured by the appropriate ITBS and ITED subtests. 2. Increase the percentage of students whose reading NSS are above the typical NSS increase for grades 4, 8, and 11 as compared to their matched cohort FAY NSS scores in grades 3, 7 and 10 in reading comprehension and mathematics, and in grades 8 and 11 as compared to their matched cohort FAY NSS scores in grades 7 and 10 in science, as measured by the appropriate ITBS and ITED subtests 2010 – 2011 Building Goal: Use the IDM process to implement research-based strategies and interventions to meet the needs of all students. |
12/15/10 Professional Development
Iowa Core Outcome 5.b.1 Educators engage in professional development that contains all elements of effective professional development for student achievement (IPDM).
Bailey Park:
Teachers collaborated to build lessons and activities focused around the Smart Board. They learned more about the Education City software and also the math and reading curriculum's on-line support and applications.
Fairview:
New technology was introduced at the beginning of the professional development session. Survey results were put into a Wordle Document and the Website Xtra Normal and the video we created at the RTI conference in Des Moines were shared, followed by watching a YouTube Video on RTI (IDM). We collaboratively put our work into Google Docs after teachers created log ins. Our Google Doc contained an outline of the tiers of instruction and what percentage of students should fall in each tier, we discussed common assessments, what our frequency of progress monitoring would be per tier and who would do the progress monitoring.
Davis:
Teachers collaborated on the use of instructional technology (SuccessMaker, Education City, math and reading on-line support and applications) as well as review and discussion of the 90/90/90 study. The 90/90/90 study details schools that have 90% minority students, 90% students in poverty, and 90% proficiency. Teachers learned what is occurring in those schools and discussed how we can incorporate some of those characteristics in our school.
1/5/11 Professional Development
Iowa Core Outcome 5.b.1 Educators engage in professional development that contains all elements of effective professional development for student achievement (IPDM).
Comprehension/fluency group, facilitated by Matt Marietta
Discussion of the six types of struggling readers continued and teachers shared out a lesson for each type of reader. Teachers defined and analyzed the 5 skills needed to be a successful reader and then looked at the assessments we are currently using to diagnose these skill areas, cut points/benchmarks are and interventions we can use. Reading intervention websites that tie interventions to specific scores on assessments were introduced.
Daily 5, facilitated by Sarah Seney
Professional development focused on the Daily 5 continued. Teachers briefly reflected on the first Daily 5 component, Read to Self, and how it was going in classrooms. The staff was introduced to two more components of the Daily 5, Read to Someone and Listen to Reading, and watched a clip of Read to Someone being introduced to a first grade class. Discussion followed about implementation of the component in classrooms and what barriers might present as implementation occurs.
Teachers read the article The Art of Grouping Students and then discussed flexible grouping and its connection to the Daily 5. Once the Daily 5 components are fully implemented and the students are independent at them, the teachers can start pulling skill level groups and teaching mini lessons based on student needs. The staff used current data to group their students according to need and developed differentiated lessons to support skills needed by students.
Davis Elementary, facilitated by Nancy Beck
Formative assessment research, the power of formative assessment and specific characteristics of formative assessment were discussed. Teachers, in grade level teams, then discussed current status and next steps for use learning targets, one foundational formative assessment strategy.
Teachers planned for MAP and ITBS testing, including testing schedules, communication with parents, a student assembly for promotion of ITBS testing, and the small groups to be led by the elementary counselors focused on testing skills.
Teachers shared formative assessment ideas as grade level teams and also developed prioritized lists of needs for their grade levels/building.
Progress on Davis Elementary School Improvement Plan – Charting the Actions (see included chart) The next meeting in Marshalltown is January 21 and we will share our progress with other schools at that time.
Grinnell Welcomes New Teachers!
Sarah Skinner has been teaching half-time at the Middle School this school year and she has recently joined the staff at Davis as well. Ms. Skinner provides math instruction to individual students or small groups of students who are struggling with math concepts.
Our new elementary counselor, Nikki Tews, is a certified teacher and counselor and has taught kindergarten previously and coordinated a before and after school program. She will work in all three elementary buildings and share the counseling work with our current elementary counselor, David Ford. The addition of Ms. Tews will allow increased access to a counselor at the elementary buildings.
All three positions are funded through federal education jobs funding for the remainder of this school year and the 2011-12 school year.
Kary Kinmouth, Grinnell police office, gave out "tickets" to students at Davis School -- on Walk to School Day earlier this school year. Tickets could be redeemed for a treat.
Ryan LeRoy demonstrates letters of the alphabet as Liz Phelan reads their alphabet book to Davis third graders. Micah Nelson was the third Grinnell College student who authored the alphabet book.
Grinnell College Students Read to Davis Third Graders
Grinnell College students from Carmen Valentine’s tutorial, Children’s Literature, read stories and led related activities for third grade students at Davis Elementary. Several Grinnell College students worked together to write a children’s book as part of their class work and four different groups came to Davis Elementary to read their books to the students. Songs related to each book’s theme followed the reading of the book. Students listened intently as they heard about Rock ‘ Roll Maria, princesses, stars, and letters of the alphabet.
Insects galore!
Students in Mr. Abarr’s fourth grade science classes have spent a great deal of time learning about insects. After learning about the structure of insects, students created their own insects to demonstrate their knowledge. Creatively crafted insects are now flying around the ceiling of the third floor at Davis Elementary.
Next in science, students will explore social insects through a more in-depth study of the honeybee. Students will explore the division of labor within the colony, the many helpful things the honeybee does for humankind, and why we should be concerned about the “colony collapse” phenomenon. In the near future, students will be studying fireflies and their ability to create light and students will be making fireflies that actually light up.