Pocantico Hills Middle School Staff

English Language Arts: 6th Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker 7th & 8th Grade: Mrs. Stephanie DiMartino Social Studies: 6th Grade: Mrs. Maureen Tucker 7th & 8th Grade: Mrs. Mary Flannery Mathematics: 6th Grade: Mr. Al Sancton 7th Grade: Mr. Joseph Stutz 8th Grade: Mr. Al Sancton, Mr. Joseph Stutz Science: 6th Grade: Mr. Al Sancton 7th & 8th Grade: Mr. Vince Cook Foreign Language: Spanish: Mrs. Ann Mancini French: Ms. Marilyn Sable Special Education Staff: Mrs. Madeline McDougal Ms. Loretta McCarthy Ms. Felicia Peterson Mrs. Barbara Quinn Mrs. Karen Smith Mrs. Eileen Vail

Pocantico Hills Middle School Mission Statement

The Pocantico Hills Middle School staff believes that each student is a complex and unique individual. We are committed to helping all our children realize their complete personal potentialsacademic, creative, emotional. We will ask all our students to stretch themselves and we will help them to discover the rewards of working hard. We will establish a learning community built on mutual respect and compassion. We will encourage all students in our care to become productive, empathetic members of this community and of society at large and so, we will help them develop into educated, honest, fair, kind and self-disciplined young adults.

CURRICULUM MAPPING GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Re-examination of New York State English Language Arts learning standards and existing Pocantico Hills Middle School content area curriculum Creation of draft documents that visually align current middle school content area instruction with established state ELA learning standards Establish criteria for future curriculum development that will build on existing instructional structures

MAPPING PROCEDURES
Examination and outline of existing curriculum and instructional practices in all content areas
Alignment of content area curriculum and instruction with established state ELA learning standards Creation of draft documents highlighting the specific ways in which middle school instruction and assessment instruments incorporate state ELA learning standards

CURRICULUM MAPPING OUTCOMES/FINDINGS

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

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

Middle school content area instruction encourages academic and individual growth within this community through a variety of learning experiences Middle school content area instruction across the curriculum provides Pocantico Hills students with solid preparation for high school level work

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

Students read, write and listen for information in mathematics. Student generated geometry posters demonstrate ELA learning standards as applied to middle school mathematics

Reading and writing for information in sixth grade science. Using a range of sources, students created and presented research posters.

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

Seventh grade scientists research and report on their favorite animals.

STANDARD 2
Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression.
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Addressing ELA Standard 2 in Spanish class. Seventh graders composed odes in Spanish, using the work of Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda

In foreign language, students flex their creative muscles.

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

Students create primary source documents in Social Studies 7 & 8

Students write creatively in English 7.

A variety of weekly Writers Notebook assignments allows students to experiment with written language for self-expression

STANDARD 3
Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, students will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

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

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

Laboratory work demands critical analysis

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

Sixth graders make a pitch at Stone Barns

STANDARD 4
Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.

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

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

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

Students watched the video Lornenzos Oil Students took notes and responded to the scientific content and social issues raised by the film

Role of Special Education

To provide strategies that help students meet the standards To accommodate different learning styles To work as a team member in adapting curriculum To employ best practices in meeting the needs of all children

Meeting the Standards

Best Practices

Assistive Technology/ Quickpads

Study Skills/ Ellis Outlines/ Graphic Organizers/ Inspiration software

Multi-modal Instruction/ addressing Different learning styles

New York State

Mathematics Standards/Assessments

Content Strands
Number Sense Operations Geometry Measurement Statistics/Probability Algebra

General Observations
Content is generally less varied in topics in grades Pre K-4 than in the current Core Curriculum Content in grades 5-8 has significantly more Algebra and Geometry than in the current core Curriculum

General Observations (continued)

Grade seven and eight content has been dramatically modified Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 and Trig have replaced Math A and Math B

Assessment Information Grades 3-8

Assessments will be scheduled for March of each school year The assessment test will cover content from the April of the prior year. Each grades curriculum is organized into a Pre-March/Post-March list

High School
Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 Trig Three math credits required for graduation Algebra regents scheduled for June 07 Algebra receives a maximum of 2 credits Geometry regents scheduled for June 08 Graduation requirement - one regents exam in math

Things to do
Familiarize teachers with the new math standards coordinate curriculum across grade levels establish a math steering committee