Pocantico Hills Pocantico Hills Middle School StaffMiddle School Staff

English Language ArtsEnglish Language Arts::66thth Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker77thth & 8 & 8thth Grade: Mrs. Stephanie Grade: Mrs. Stephanie

DiMartinoDiMartino

Social StudiesSocial Studies::66thth Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker77thth & 8 & 8thth Grade: Mrs. Mary Grade: Mrs. Mary

FlanneryFlannery

MathematicsMathematics::66thth Grade: Mr. Al Sancton Grade: Mr. Al Sancton77thth Grade: Mr. Joseph Stutz Grade: Mr. Joseph Stutz88thth Grade: Mr. Al Sancton, Mr. Grade: Mr. Al Sancton, Mr.

Joseph StutzJoseph Stutz

Science:Science:66thth Grade: Mr. Al Sancton Grade: Mr. Al Sancton77thth & 8 & 8thth Grade: Mr. Vince Cook Grade: Mr. Vince Cook

Foreign LanguageForeign Language::Spanish: Mrs. Ann ManciniSpanish: Mrs. Ann ManciniFrench: Ms. Marilyn SableFrench: Ms. Marilyn Sable

Special Education StaffSpecial Education Staff::Mrs. Madeline McDougalMrs. Madeline McDougalMs. Loretta McCarthyMs. Loretta McCarthyMs. Felicia PetersonMs. Felicia PetersonMrs. Barbara QuinnMrs. Barbara QuinnMrs. Karen SmithMrs. Karen SmithMrs. Eileen VailMrs. Eileen Vail

PocanticoPocantico Hills Hills Middle School Middle School Mission Mission StatementStatement

The Pocantico Hills Middle School staff The Pocantico Hills Middle School staff believes that each student is a complex and believes that each student is a complex and unique individual. We are committed to unique individual. We are committed to helping all our children realize their helping all our children realize their complete personal potentials—academic, complete personal potentials—academic, creative, emotional. We will ask all our creative, emotional. We will ask all our students to stretch themselves and we will students to stretch themselves and we will help them to discover the rewards of help them to discover the rewards of working hard.working hard.

We will establish a learning community built We will establish a learning community built on mutual respect and compassion. We will on mutual respect and compassion. We will encourage all students in our care to encourage all students in our care to become productive, empathetic members of become productive, empathetic members of this community and of society at large and this community and of society at large and so, we will help them develop into educated, so, we will help them develop into educated, honest, fair, kind and self-disciplined young honest, fair, kind and self-disciplined young adults.adults.

CURRICULUM MAPPING CURRICULUM MAPPING GOALS/OBJECTIVESGOALS/OBJECTIVES

Re-examination of New York State English Language Re-examination of New York State English Language Arts learning standards and existing Pocantico Hills Arts learning standards and existing Pocantico Hills Middle School content area curriculumMiddle School content area curriculum

Creation of draft documents that visually align current Creation of draft documents that visually align current middle school content area instruction with established middle school content area instruction with established state ELA learning standardsstate ELA learning standards

Establish criteria for future curriculum development that Establish criteria for future curriculum development that will build on existing instructional structures will build on existing instructional structures

MAPPINGMAPPING PROCEDURESPROCEDURES

Examination and outline of existing curriculum and Examination and outline of existing curriculum and instructional practices in all content areasinstructional practices in all content areas

Alignment of content area curriculum and instruction Alignment of content area curriculum and instruction with established state ELA learning standardswith established state ELA learning standards

Creation of draft documents highlighting the specific Creation of draft documents highlighting the specific ways in which middle school instruction and ways in which middle school instruction and assessment instruments incorporate state ELA learning assessment instruments incorporate state ELA learning standardsstandards

CURRICULUMCURRICULUM MAPPING MAPPING OUTCOMES/FINDINGSOUTCOMES/FINDINGS

Middle school content area instruction is currently aligned with the Middle school content area instruction is currently aligned with the established state ELA learning standards through reading, writing, established state ELA learning standards through reading, writing, listening and speaking across the curriculumlistening and speaking across the curriculum

Middle school content area instruction incorporates a range of reading, Middle school content area instruction incorporates a range of reading, writing, speaking and listening instructional strategies designed to meet writing, speaking and listening instructional strategies designed to meet the needs of all students by creating a community of active learnersthe needs of all students by creating a community of active learners

Middle school content area instruction encourages academic and Middle school content area instruction encourages academic and individual growth within this community through a variety of learning individual growth within this community through a variety of learning experiencesexperiences

Middle school content area instruction across the curriculum provides Middle school content area instruction across the curriculum provides Pocantico Hills students with solid preparation for high school level work Pocantico Hills students with solid preparation for high school level work

STANDARD ISTANDARD I

Students will read, write, listen and speak for Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understandinginformation and understanding

As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts and and ideas, discover relationships, concepts and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit information.information.

Students read, write and listen for Students read, write and listen for information in mathematics.information in mathematics.

Student generated Student generated geometry posters geometry posters demonstrate ELA demonstrate ELA learning standards learning standards as applied to as applied to middle school middle school mathematics mathematics

Reading and writing for information in Reading and writing for information in sixth grade science.sixth grade science.

Using a range of Using a range of sources, students sources, students created and created and presented research presented research posters.posters.

Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking for Information in 6for Information in 6thth Grade ELA. Grade ELA.

Seventh grade scientists research and Seventh grade scientists research and report on their favorite animals.report on their favorite animals.

STANDARD 2STANDARD 2

Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression.response and expression.

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.artistic creation.

Addressing ELA Standard 2 in Spanish Addressing ELA Standard 2 in Spanish class.class.

Seventh graders Seventh graders composed odes in composed odes in Spanish, using the Spanish, using the

work of Chilean poet, work of Chilean poet, Pablo NerudaPablo Neruda

In foreign language, students flex their In foreign language, students flex their creative muscles.creative muscles.

Students explore literary expression Students explore literary expression and response through poetry in sixth and response through poetry in sixth grade ELA.grade ELA.

Students create primary source Students create primary source documents in Social Studies 7 & 8 documents in Social Studies 7 & 8

Students write creatively in English 7.Students write creatively in English 7.

A variety of weekly A variety of weekly Writer’s Notebook Writer’s Notebook assignments allows assignments allows students to students to experiment with experiment with written language for written language for self-expressionself-expression

STANDARD 3STANDARD 3

Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.analysis and evaluation.

As listeners and readers, students will analyze As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information and issues presented experiences, ideas, information and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, students will present, in oral and speakers and writers, students will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.information and issues.

Meeting Standard 3 in English 8: the Meeting Standard 3 in English 8: the critical lens essay and a personal essaycritical lens essay and a personal essay

Social Studies students analyze and Social Studies students analyze and respond critically to issues via respond critically to issues via examination of editorial cartoons examination of editorial cartoons

Laboratory work demands critical Laboratory work demands critical analysisanalysis

Through Through experimentation and experimentation and direct observation, direct observation, students record data students record data and draw valid and draw valid conclusionsconclusions

Sixth graders make a “pitch” at Stone Sixth graders make a “pitch” at Stone BarnsBarns

STANDARD 4STANDARD 4

Students will read, write, listen and speak for social Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.interaction.

Students will use oral and written language for effective Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their lives.of people and their lives.

In both Social Studies 7 and English 8, In both Social Studies 7 and English 8, students effectively use language for students effectively use language for social interaction, as debaters and letter social interaction, as debaters and letter writers.writers.

Response to scientific content in popular Response to scientific content in popular cinema as an example of listening, speaking cinema as an example of listening, speaking and writing for social interaction in Mr. Cook’s and writing for social interaction in Mr. Cook’s science class.science class.

Students watched Students watched the video the video Lornenzo’s Lornenzo’s OilOil

Students took notes Students took notes and responded to the and responded to the scientific content and scientific content and social issues raised social issues raised by the filmby the film

Role of Special EducationRole of Special Education

To provide strategies that help students To provide strategies that help students meet the standardsmeet the standards

To accommodate different learning stylesTo accommodate different learning styles To work as a team member in adapting To work as a team member in adapting

curriculumcurriculum To employ best practices in meeting the To employ best practices in meeting the

needs of all childrenneeds of all children

Meeting the StandardsMeeting the Standards

Best Practices

Assistive Technology/Quickpads

Study Skills/Ellis Outlines/

Graphic Organizers/Inspiration software

Multi-modal Instruction/addressing

Different learning styles

New York StateNew York State

Mathematics Mathematics Standards/AssessmentsStandards/Assessments

Content StrandsContent Strands

Number Sense OperationsNumber Sense Operations GeometryGeometry MeasurementMeasurement Statistics/ProbabilityStatistics/Probability AlgebraAlgebra

General ObservationsGeneral Observations

Content is generally less varied in topics Content is generally less varied in topics in grades Pre K-4 than in the current in grades Pre K-4 than in the current Core CurriculumCore Curriculum

Content in grades 5-8 has significantly Content in grades 5-8 has significantly more Algebra and Geometry than in the more Algebra and Geometry than in the current core Curriculumcurrent core Curriculum

General Observations General Observations (continued) (continued)

Grade seven and eight content has been Grade seven and eight content has been dramatically modifieddramatically modified

Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 and Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 and Trig have replaced Math A and Math BTrig have replaced Math A and Math B

Assessment Information Assessment Information Grades 3-8Grades 3-8

Assessments will be scheduled for March Assessments will be scheduled for March of each school yearof each school year

The assessment test will cover content The assessment test will cover content from the April of the prior year.from the April of the prior year.

Each grade’s curriculum is organized into Each grade’s curriculum is organized into a Pre-March/Post-March lista Pre-March/Post-March list

High SchoolHigh School

Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 TrigAlgebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 Trig Three math credits required for graduationThree math credits required for graduation Algebra regents scheduled for June 07Algebra regents scheduled for June 07 Algebra receives a maximum of 2 creditsAlgebra receives a maximum of 2 credits Geometry regents scheduled for June 08Geometry regents scheduled for June 08 Graduation requirement - one regents Graduation requirement - one regents

exam in mathexam in math

Things to doThings to do

Familiarize teachers with the new math Familiarize teachers with the new math standardsstandards

coordinate curriculum across grade coordinate curriculum across grade levelslevels

establish a math steering committeeestablish a math steering committee