Compass NCA. The. Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Communication Skills at NCA. Northshore Christian Academy Everett, WA

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1 The NCA February 2017 Dedicated to Excellence in Academics Creativity ~ Character ~ Leadership Compass Northshore Christian Academy Everett, WA Vision Statement Transformed lives Transform lives Romans 12:2 Mission Statement Northshore Christian Academy exists as a partner with families to provide a superior Christian education, which includes developing spiritual, academic and personal excellence in a Christ-centered environment. Northshore Christian Academy Kindergarten-8th Grade Early Learning Center Northshore School of Arts & Enrichment Summer Program rd Drive West Everett, WA Office Fax Mrs. Winningham reads Don t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus to Kindergarten Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Communication Skills at NCA Literacy is a high priority of instruction at NCA. We are building a culture of literacy with purpose. Literacy includes reading, writing, and communication skills and processes; it forms the foundation of all learning. Words and language add meaning to our lives- we use words to share memories, to envision and dream. At NCA, literacy expectations include communicating, problem solving, and participating in decision-making through a biblical worldview that fosters the integration of faith and learning. Throughout the week, our teachers meet to collaborate in grade level teams in elementary and subject teams in middle school. Our literacy learning goal, 90% of students will demonstrate grade level mastery in all literacy skills outlined by the standards, drives conversations and strategies for increasing student achievement.

2 Page 2 D oes my child have spelling? Instruction for K-5 students helps them understand and use the patterns of written language to become better readers and writers. Successful readers are successful students! Relevant spelling instruction provides opportunities for students to investigate and understand sound, spelling, and meaning relationships in words. Beginning in 3-5, spelling is broken into groups for student readiness. Middle school students have vocabulary instruction instead of spelling. The words are Latin and Greek roots and students learn pronunciation, part of speech, write an example sentence, and draw a sketch or picture. THE NCA COMPASS Helping at Home Ideas to Support Literacy Set aside 30 minutes of uninterrupted time for reading. Read aloud to your child; have him/her take turns reading with you (keep it up even as your child gets older). Encourage non-fiction reading about current interests. Let your child see you reading and writing Relate real-life experiences to a book or story. Play word games, i.e., rhyming words, lists of synonyms, analogies. Build vocabulary by doing crossword puzzles together. Check out or purchase audio tapes of books. Talk to, read to, listen to and sing together. Provide a place for your child to write. Encourage your child to compose writing pieces. Encourage authentic writing; thank-you notes, party invitations, grocery lists W hy is handwriting important? Legible handwriting is emphasized as an important communication tool and can reflect a desire to do one s best for the Lord. NCA has an intentional program that develops handwriting skills throughout the grades. The program begins in prekindergarten using Handwriting without Tears teaching foundational printing skills that helps to develop the young child s fine motor coordination. The third graders at NCA are taught cursive and keyboarding; both physical writing methods! When done well...literacy is integrated and hidden into learning activities that are so fun...the student is not even aware that they are learning. That is a gifted educator!

3 February 2017 Page 3 English Language Arts Standards NCA s English/Language Arts (ELA) standards define our learning goals in the literacy strands of reading, writing, language and speaking/listening. How does the 1:1 program help with literacy? In K-2, students have opportunity to reinforce reading, listen to stories, work on vocabulary games. Blended learning programs such as iready allow students to be assessed and receive instruction right at their level. Technology in 3-5 allows students to take AR tests within the classrooms and use for educational activities. In 5th grade, students type more of their work, and one class is piloting the usage of Chrome books! Middle school students are able to use their devices due to the BYOD approach. In English, students can research topics in class, take notes and complete activities. Teachers are finding most students are quicker typers and are able to accomplish more work due to their device! K-2 Literacy Instruction: What are Daily 5 and CAFE? These are research proven literacy programs that provide structure and continuity for grades K, 1, and 2. Students are able to receive individualized instruction in literacy. These programs are student centered; the student is working on a goal, knows their goal, and meets with their teacher individually to monitor progress. 3-5 Literacy Instruction: What is CIA? CIA stands for Collect, Interpret, Apply. There are three main components in this literacy program: read aloud from different genre s of grade level books (guided reading), book clubs leveled according to each child s needs, at home reading with a library book. The goals of the teachers and students for CIA are increasing vocabulary, broadening genre exposure, and safe discussions of issues in books. Teachers and students have seen interest grow in various genres and greater vocabulary usage in writing and speaking. Writing is built into the program. Students learn to use the texts to support their thinking and have more opportunities to practice their writing which has grown ability. Grammar Instruction Grammar is taught beginning in first grade with basic sentence structure. As the student moves up grade levels, they experience additional direct grammar instruction and mini-lessons of instruction. By the time the student enters middle school, 6th graders receive daily grammar instruction. 7th and 8th grade students practice grammar multiple times a week in warmups.

4 February 2017 Page 4 Middle School Literacy Instruction Returning NCA Family Enrollment begins February 1, 2017 Accepting New Student Applications For New Family Tours every Wednesday at 9:30am Contact: Denise Christian, Director Admissions & Development dchristian@northshorechristian.org What is Close Reading? Middle School Literacy uses a current instructional modality of close reading. Close reading looks at a text under a microscope. Students examine these smaller passages of text in order to glean additional insight and understanding. Students and teachers work to balance close reading with looking at the larger picture. Throughout the week, close reading texts are used as warm-ups to develop skills for what will be done in class. What about Nonfiction? Students are continually exposed to nonfiction and have opportunity to work deeply with nonfiction in their writing projects throughout the year. Sources are researched and read for their writing. Students also work to develop news stories and other nonfiction work. Calling all Parents of Teens! Below are 5 titles NCA recommends if you are looking for a good read. Nondiscrimination Statement Northshore Christian Academy admits students of any color, race, national and ethnic origin. It does not discriminate based on color, race or national or ethnic origin. NCA is a Ministry of NCA is a 501(c)( 3) non-profit organization NCA s Tax ID # All donations are tax deductible. Literacy and the Library Fun facts: -Over 18,800 books -Two library locations allows for students to have convenient access to their reading level -Weekly library times for every student Each day, students arrive at the library with anticipation. What book(s) will the librarian read and recommend? How will my knowledge and love of books grow? Our two part time librarians plan invigorating, developmentally appropriate lessons for your child! Beyond this mini-lesson in K-5, students are given time to check out books, take AR tests, and explore the genres of books! Middle school students have daily opportunities to check out library books and take AR tests. This month, our students are voting for their favorite picture book in the 2017 WA Children s Choice Picture Book Award!

5 Page 5 MAP meeting our needs! THE NCA COMPASS Kindergarten through eighth grade students have just finishing the winter administration of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests for Reading, Language Usage, and Math. NCA students take the MAP test three times a year so teachers can gauge progress of individual students and of their class as a whole toward NCA learning standards. Teachers use MAP data to guide whole class, small group, and individual student instruction. With the information MAP provides, teachers and parents know if a child is working at grade level. It also helps NCA know how our students are performing in comparison to the national average score for each grade level. On average, NCA students test two grade levels above the national norm. Growth and proficiency are both important measures that teachers keep their eyes on as they plan for student learning. MAP scores are one piece that help teachers track student growth and proficiency toward academic standards. Please let your child s teacher know if you have any questions about how your child is doing in class. NCA Honored by AMHS Earlier this month, Archbishop Murphy High School contacted Northshore to congratulate us for graduating well prepared students for high school with the average GPA of 3.7 as graduating seniors. We honor and celebrate our students and families for this achievement! The plaque below can be seen on display in our Middle School Pavilion. Way to go, NCA students! Thrive Tutoring Program Pictured above: Debbie Ellis, Debra Miller, Ruth Champagne, Linda Bosse, Janet Christy Life is never a perfect straight-line. It s more like a roller-coaster with ups and downs. At some point, students and families may struggle and need additional support. We are here to assist - THRIVE is a help desk for life. We provide proactive education to prepare students for life s challenges. When things get too heavy we have tools to help students academically, spiritually, and personally.