Curriculum
Language Arts
Kindergarten through Grade 4
Listening and Speaking
Listening and speaking are related processes. As students become more proficient listeners and speakers, they will be able to relate new ideas/thoughts to their own experiences. Students are given a variety of opportunities for oral language through choral speaking, discussions and class plays. As they broaden their range of vocabulary, understanding and appreciation of the English Language, they will expand and reach higher levels of expertise.
Written Expression
Writing is the key component used to communicate ideas in all content areas. Writing begins with the understanding of sequence and logical order. As students apply conventions and expand their vocabulary, the ability to express their ideas becomes clearer and more meaningful. Authors write for a wide variety of purposes and audiences, and pass through a predictable writing process when they produce new work. During this writing process students create original works with in a variety of genres. During this process, known as Writers’ Workshop, students generate ideas, begin a draft, revise, edit and publish their writing. Writing is celebrated throughout the year.
Reading
The ultimate goal for reading instruction is to provide enriching and educationally sound opportunities for every child to become a lifelong learner. With the development of reading skills and language appreciation, students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions that lead to the application of new ideas or information, always being encouraged to utilize higher level thinking skills throughout the reading process.
Students will gain an appreciation for literacy, through exposure to a variety of reading material. They will receive small group instruction in both decoding and comprehension. Students are encouraged to share and discuss the various elements of stories and will be given opportunities to explore a wide variety of text throughout the day.
Mathematics
Our curriculum focuses on New York State’s Learning Standards for Math. The goal is to provide students with the ability to use math skills to function in our ever changing world. Students will understand the concepts and skills of math as they communicate and reason mathematically, and become problem solvers. These are represented as 5 Content Strands and 5 Process Strands which
are:
The Five Content Strands
Number Sense and Operations Strand
Students will:
•understand numbers, multiple ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems;
•understand meanings of operations and procedures, and how they relate to one another;
•compute accurately and make reasonable estimates.
Algebra Strand
Students will:
•represent and analyze algebraically a wide variety of problem solving situations;
•perform algebraic procedures accurately;
•recognize, use, and represent algebraically patterns, relations, and functions.
Geometry Strand
Students will:
•use visualization and spatial reasoning to analyze characteristics and properties of geometric shapes;
•identify and justify geometric relationships, formally and informally;
•apply transformations and symmetry to analyze problem solving situations;
•apply coordinate geometry to analyze problem solving situations.
Measurement Strand
Students will:
•determine what can be measured and how, using appropriate methods and
formulas;
•use units to give meaning to measurements;
•understand that all measurement contains error and be able to determine its significance;
•develop strategies for estimating measurements.
Statistics and Probability Strand
Students will:
•collect, organize, display, and analyze data;
•make predictions that are based upon data analysis;
•understand and apply concepts of probability.
The Five Process Strands
Problem Solving Strand
Students will:
•build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving;
•solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts;
•apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems;
•monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.
Reasoning and Proof Strand
Students will:
•recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics;
•make and investigate mathematical conjectures;
•develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs;
•select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof.
Communication Strand
Students will:
•organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication;
•communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others;
•analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others;
•use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.
Connections Strand
Students will:
•recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas;
•understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole;
•recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.
Representation Strand
Students will:
•create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas;
•select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems;
•use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.
Kindergarten
Topics include: Number Sense/Numeration, Patterns and Spatial Relationships, Addition and Subtraction, Estimations, Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies, Geometry, Sorting and Classifying, Measurement, Math language and adapting a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.
First Grade
Topics include: Number Systems, Number Lines, Addition and Subtraction, Fact Families, Sorting, Classifying and Ordering Numbers, Measurement, patterns, Money, Calendar Activities, Graphing, Geometry, Estimation, Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies, Making Predictions, and support their reasoning.
Second Grade
Topics include: Number Concepts, Addition and Subtraction with and without Regrouping, Place Value through One Thousand, Money, Time, Measurement, Developing readiness for Multiplication and Division, Geometry, Fractions, Fact Families, Graphing, Estimation, Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies, and the ability to Justify general claims using manipulatives..
Third Grade
Topics include: Addition and Subtraction with and without Regrouping, Place Value, Multiplication and Division, Decimals, Geometry and Fractions, Order of Properties, Measurement, Probability, Comparing and Ordering Numbers. Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies, the ability to analyze problems, and provide reasoning in both verbal and written form are also included with in the math curriculum.
Fourth Grade
Topics include: Place Value, Elapsed Time Addition and Subtraction with and without Regrouping, Multiplication and Division, Fractions, Decimals, Geometry, Area and Perimeter Regular Polygons, Probability and Logic. Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies, including the ability to analyze problems, generate conclusions and provide reasoning in both verbal and written form are included.
Science
Kindergarten
The topics include:
Oceans
Ecology/Environment
Insects/Creepy Crawlies
Energy/Vehicles and Machines
First Grade
The topics include:
Sound and Light
Growing and Changing
Plants
Weather
Second Grade
The topics include:
The Earth and Sky
The sun’s energy interacts with and benefits living things on earth. It provides energy for plants to grow, which in turn feed animals. Moonlight is reflected sunlight and the shapes of the moon are in phases. The Earth consists of different landforms and bodies of water. The earth is surrounded by air.
Plants and Animals: Habitats
Animals and pants have characteristics that help them to survive. Living and non-living things interact in their environment. The diversity of life can be classified by certain characteristics.
Making Things Move: Motion and Energy
In order for an object to be moved, a force must be applied. A force is a push or a pull that makes something move. Different strengths of force are needed to do different things. Magnets have properties that help make things move. There are machines that help things move. Our muscles, bones, and joints help our bodies move.
Changes Over Time
Children discover the diversity of dinosaurs by comparing the shape, size, and behavior of different dinosaurs. They also learn how life on earth has changed over time.
Third Grade
The topics include:
Measurement
Measurement, the process of quantifying observations, is the cornerstone of science. Measurement is accomplished by comparing nature-the-unknown-to a standard unit-the-known. Through such comparisons, the organization of the word is made more comprehensible.
Earth and Other Planets
Earth is only one member of a large solar system. The members of this system vary greatly in size and characteristics, but Earth is the only member of this system that is capable of sustaining higher life forms.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
The core of the Earth is made up of molten rock and gases that produce great energy. The forces beneath the surface of the Earth may violently peak with the eruption of a volcano or the jarring of an earthquake.
Fun In Motion: Energy
Friction is the force that slows down and stops moving objects. Simple machines are people-powered. Simple machines help us do work by trading force and distance.
Fourth Grade
The topics include:
The Weather Report
There are six conditions that affect our weather. Weather patterns result from the interaction between land and water. There are tools and methods for observing weather patterns.
Plants
All living things need energy and nutrients for survival. The quality of soil and the amount of water and sunlight a plant receives affect the plant growth. Plants are vital to our existence and to the existence of other organisms on earth. Plants form the basic framework of the earth’s food supply and are a major producer of oxygen in the atmosphere.
Electricity
The theme of Electricity is energy. In its broadest sense, energy is the ability to cause change, and change involves the conversion of one type of energy can be changed into mechanical energy and mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Rocks and Minerals
Atoms make up rocks and minerals. Minerals are the building blocks of the earth, moon and planters. They are a solid substance found on the earth. To be a mineral the substance must be non-living, occur in nature, and made up of a set amount of elements. All rocks are made of minerals. Rocks are considered to be the “building” of our earth, moon and planets. Some rocks are made of several minerals.
Social Studies
Kindergarten: Self and Others/ Local community
The social studies program at the kindergarten level focuses on helping students develop awareness of self as a growing individual. The child’s unique qualities, as well as similarities to others are stressed. Children learn about values, ideas, customs, and traditions through folk tales, legends, music, and oral histories. In addition, the child’s relationships with others in the classroom and the school become sources for social studies learning. Social interaction skills are integral to the kindergarten program. Emphasis is placed on using content that is relevant and personally meaningful. A wide range of interdisciplinary activities can help the child grow and develop and gain knowledge and skills. Children also begin to learn about their role as citizens by accepting rights and responsibilities and learn about their community and the environment around them. Community Walks, Grade Wide Celebrations and supplemental materials enrich the Social Studies Curriculum.
First Grade: My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago
The grade one social studies program focuses on helping students learn about their roles as members of a family and school community. The development of identity and social interaction are stressed. The students explore self, family and school through the five standards. Students learn about families that existed in different societies and communities. Students also begin to locate places on maps and learn how maps serve as representations of physical features and objects. Building on the Level K program, the grade one program encourages interdisciplinary learning to assist in developing the content, concepts, and skills outlined for the K-12 social studies program.
Second Grade: My Community and Other United States Communities
In the grade two social studies program, students explore rural, urban, and suburban communities, concentrating on communities in the United States. The student’s own community can serve as an example for studying and understanding other communities. Students study about communities from perspectives of five social studies learning standards. Community studies should include content examples from cultures other than the students’ own, and from a variety of perspectives including geographic, socioeconomic, maps and ethnic. Students continue to learn how to locate places on maps and how different communities are influenced by geographic and environmental factors. They also study about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in their communities.
Third Grade: Communities Around the World – Learning About People and Places
Third grade social studies centers on the diversity of the world’s peoples and cultures. The year begins with an in depth study of geography. The five New York State social studies standards form the basis for an investigation as students explore the relationship between a community’s location and its resources through an interdisciplinary approach. Literature books are used to incorporate reading and writing skills while enriching the students’ understanding of a particular region. Students explore how world communities meet their basic needs and wants. Students study the social, political, geographical, economic, and historic characteristics of different world communities and begin to learn about historic chronology by placing important events on timelines.
Fourth Grade: Local History and Local Government
This program builds on the students’ understanding of families, schools, and communities and highlights the political institutions and historic development of their local communities with connections to New York State and the United States. The in-depth study of local government will emphasize the structure and function of the different branches and the roles of civic leaders. Students continue to learn about the rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizenship. By participating in school activities that teach democratic values, students develop a sense of political efficacy and a better understanding of the roles of supporters and leaders. Students expand their civic concepts of power, equality, justice, and citizenship as they learn about local government.
The historic study of local communities focuses on the social/cultural, political, and economic factors that helped to shape these communities. Students will study about the significant people, places, and events, and issues that influenced life in their local communities. Students can investigate case studies to make connections between local events and issues and how they are linked to national events and issues. The program will follow themes and events at the local level: Native Americans of New York State, the European encounter, the colonial and Revolutionary War period, the New Nation, and the period of industrial growth and development in New York State. This chronological framework will help students to organize information about local history with its connections to the United States.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Student assessment is a process that occurs in a variety of formats and designs throughout the school year. Student assessment serves several purposes. First it provides students and their families with feedback about their learning. Additionally, assessment provides teachers with information about their students. Student’s strengths and needs are identified. Consequently, teachers are provided with more information enabling them to tailor lessons providing students with either enrichment or remediation as indicated. Assessment opportunities are present in a variety of forms at BRS. These may include; teacher observation, teacher made tests, quizzes, running records, writing samples, report cards, and standardized assessments.
Grades 2
The Test of New York State Standards (TONYSS), a criterion referenced assessment is administered during the spring semester in grades 2. These criterion-referenced assessments are designed to measure a student’s mastery of the New York State Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics.
The ELA TONYSS measure student performance in relation to the three New York State Standards in English Language Arts. The assessment format includes multiple choice, short answer responses, extended responses and a writing task. Students are expected to:
Read several passages and answer multiple choice questions
Listen to a passage or passages and answer short-answer response questions
Write on a topic related to the content of a listening passage(s)
Check for correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
Use planning pages to help guide responses
Evaluate two related passages
The Mathematics TONYSS measure student performance in relation to the 5 Content and 5 Process Strands in Mathematics. The assessment format includes multiple choice, and short and extended response questions. Students are expected to show their work and give detailed answers describing their solution process. Students are expected to:
Explain mathematical reasoning using words, pictures or diagrams
Communicate and reason mathematically
Apply problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios
Analyze information and draw conclusions
Construct solutions to multi-step problems
Create graphs
Interpret data
Use manipulatives
The TONYYS are scored at a central scoring location and the results are sent to the school district during the summer. Once this information has been received and analyzed, a parent copy is sent home for review sometime during the early fall.
The results include a Performance Indicator based on a scale of 1-4; a 3 or 4 indicates complete mastery, a two is partial mastery, and a 1 represents no mastery of subject area material. Parents are encouraged to review their child’s results and contact the office should any questions or concerns arise.
Grades 3 and 4
During a student’s third grade year they will participate in two academic assessments; English Language Arts and Mathematics, required by New York State. In fourth grade year, they will participate in three academic assessments: English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science, once again required by New York State.
The format for the grade 3 and 4 assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics is the same as the TONYSS administered to second grade (see above description).
The Elementary Science Program Evaluation Test (ESPET) is a cumulative science assessment that evaluates a school’ s overall elementary science program as well as individual student performance. This evaluation consists of two parts: one is multiple-choice and short answer responses and the other is based on student performance. The multiple-choice is content based while the performance assessment is a hands-on application of science knowledge. Both sections of this assessment are administered in the science classroom by the science specialist.
The New York State Assessments are scored within the school district and are completed several weeks after the administration dates. The formal results are sent to the district during the latter part of the spring for the ELA and late in the summer for the Mathematics and Science.
Similar to the TONYSS, once the staff at BRS has analyzed student performance, a parent report is sent home for review. Individual reports are only available for Language Arts and Mathematics. As part of the parent report your child receives a Performance Indicator number. The Performance Indicator is based on a 1-4 scale, a score of 3 or 4 indicates complete mastery, a two is partial mastery and a 1 represents no mastery of subject area content material. Parents are encouraged to review their child’s results and contact the office should any questions arise.
Assessment Dates for School Year
Test of New York State Standards (TONYSS)
Grades 2 English Language Arts The week of April 24-28
Mathematics The week of May 15-19
New York State Assessments
Grade 3 & 4: English Language Arts The week of January 9-13
Mathematics The week of March 6-10
Science (Part I) The week of April 24-28
Multiple-Choice/short answer responses
Science (Part II) The week of May 1-5
Performance
Please remember the best way to prepare your child(ren) for the above assessments is to make sure they have had a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast. On occasion a student may be ill on the day that a particular assessment is administered. Parents often wonder if they should send their child in “just for the test”. Please be assured that all exams have scheduled make-up dates in the event that your child is legally absent from school.