Tam Valley

TEACHING AND LEARNING, CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS

TamValley teachers use a variety of curricular materials to support students in meeting state standards. Our curriculum begins with the State Adopted Programs in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and is supplemented and enriched according to student needs.

Highlights of our Reading Program

•  Children are taught to read using a balanced approach that integrates all aspects of the reading process. In the primary 
   grades, the emphasis is on phonics, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. In upper grades, the focus is on reading     
   comprehension.
• Teachers use “best practices” such as mini-lessons, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading with conferring, 
   book clubs, book talks, and comprehension strategy instruction.
• Teachers encourage students’ love of reading by making reading meaningful and fun.
• Children learn that reading is thinking and that all good readers use strategies.
• Our reading program is based on the work of professional educators such as Ken and Yetta Goodman, Lucy Calkins, 
   Marie Clay, Regie Routman, Fountas & Pinnell, Ellin Oliver Keene, and others.

Highlights of our Writing Program

• Students learn both the conventions and craft of writing through meaningful and relevant writing projects.
• Children are encouraged to write for many different purposes and in a variety of genres: stories, memoirs, poetry, essays, 
   research projects, etc.
• Teachers use “best practices” such as mini-lessons, shared writing, mentor pieces, guided writing, independent writing 
   with conferring, author studies, and genre studies.
• Our Writing program is based on the work of professional educators such as Lucy Calkins, Donald Graves, Shelley 
   Harwayne, Nancie Atwell, Katie Wood Ray, and others. 
  
Highlights of our Mathematics Program

• Children are taught to become mathematicians who solve a variety of problems flexibly and with confidence.
• Children learn computation by exploring big ideas prior to learning the traditional algorithm.
• Teachers engage children in a variety of math games to foster and deepen their understanding of math concepts and 
   skills.
• Teachers use “best practices” such as mini-lessons, math centers, and a variety of real-world projects.
• Our Math program is based on the work of professional educators such as Marilyn Burns, David Berg, and others.

Highlights of our Science Program

• Teachers focus on the cycle of inquiry and the scientific method to help children to understand and apply scientific concepts and skills.
•Teachers use FOSS Kits developed by Lawrence Hall of Science, U.C.Berkeley, to bring hands-on units of study to the classroom.
• Teachers and students utilize our school garden as a real-life laboratory.
• Primary students receive additional instruction from Science teacher Susan Beuhler.
Highlights of our Social Studies Program
• Teachers use project-based learning to engage and motivate students.
• Concepts in history are grounded in and connected to students’ current experience.
• Reading and Writing are integrated throughout the Social Studies Program.
• Students attend various field trips in the area.
Highlights of our Technology Program
• Teachers use a variety of technology programs and tools to enhance the curriculum.
• Each teacher has a laptop for planning, teaching lessons, assessing and communicating with parents.
•There are currently three mobile laptop carts and three iPad carts, as well as other iPads available in classrooms. Teachers can check these carts out and provide their classes with laptops for research and projects.
• Our Librarian integrates the use of technology, creating a robust Library/Media program.
Highlights of our Physical Education Program
• The P.E. program’s long-term goal is to instill in every student a lifelong joy of physical activity.
• Character education and team building are interrelated and taught year-round.
•The Curriculum is based on State Physical Education Standards and includes both team sports and non-traditional topics, such as dance and orienteering.
• First through Fifth-grade students receive 30 minutes of P.E. each day.

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
Assessment and evaluation are integral parts of the teaching and learning cycle. Teachers use a variety of assessments to identify students’ needs as learners. At Tam Valley, we view assessment as a tool for understanding the learner and informing instruction. There are four different types of assessments used throughout the school year to gather information about our students’ progress.

Assessment:
Classroom-based Assessments: Teachers utilize assessments on an ongoing basis to ensure that students are learning. They also use the data from assessments to plan future lessons. These assessments are often designed by the teachers themselves.

District-wide Assessments: Nationally recognized reading assessments are given to all kindergarten through 3rd-grade students across the district at specific times of the year. The purpose of these assessments is to provide our teachers with the opportunity to review assessment results with colleagues from other schools and share ideas.

Evaluation:
Conferences and Report Cards
Regular communication between teachers and parents is important to the academic and social development of each child. For first through fifth-grade students the school year is divided into trimesters and a progress report is given at the end of each trimester. At the beginning of November, parents are invited to a parent-teacher conference to discuss their child’s progress during the first trimester and to receive the child’s first progress report. Kindergarten conferences are held in October and a progress report is sent home at the end of the school year. 

STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS
Our goal as educators is to ensure that all students are learning. In the event that a child is not meeting academic standards, there is a pyramid of support that we have in place that provides both teachers and parents with strategies and a plan for how to support a particular child. The first level of support takes place in the regular classroom where the teacher differentiates the instruction and activities for students to meet their individual needs. However, sometimes a teacher's attempts to intervene and support may not be enough.

Student Study Team (SST)
A Student Study Team (SST) is comprised of the classroom teacher, the parents, the principal, the Special Education teachers, the School Psychologist, the School Counselor, and the Reading and Math Program Teacher (when applicable). The team works collaboratively to understand the child’s strengths and areas of need and then to create a plan of action.

RAMP Program
In some cases, the student is referred to our RAMP (Reading and Math Support Program) for a period of focused and targeted instruction. If, after the classroom support and the RAMP support, the child continues to not meet standards, an evaluation by the Resource Teacher and SchoolPsychologist may be deemed appropriate by the SST team.

Special Education
If the child qualifies for Special Education under the federal and state guidelines, the child may be eligible for one or more services, such as our Resource Program, Speech and Language Therapy, or Occupational Therapy. If the child does not qualify for these programs, the SST team develops an alternate intervention plan.