Pruett's AIG Blog for IBJ

Hello, all! I guess the big news for this update (other than consistently inclement weather) is the addition of third grade AIG services. Regrettably, the snow days have not helped our efforts to have everything in place. However, in meeting with third grade teachers today, we will move forward. I do appreciate the return of permission to serve forms and include these folks in updates for fourth and fifth. Look for third-specific notes soon! Here’s what the first of 2015 has been looking like! Advanced Subject Group in Reading 4:   Mrs. Page in the library has been so helpful not only in allowing us space to work (lots of programming in room 13!) but also opening her library resources for our use. Our latest common reading effort has been Each Little Bird that Sings . This title was part of ACS Battle of the Books in past years, and the multi-copies have been useful to our second, formal literature study. It is a great novel, and kids seem to have enjoyed it. We will wra

Here's a preview of some work from our fourth grade ASGM. Hands On Equations is great for making the abstract notions of algebra more concrete. We hope to integrate a bit in regular instruction for fourth grade.

Undoubtedly you've heard about and seen Jones' incredible entry in the Made by Milk contest. Evergreen Packaging presented the award at Jones today along with a fun paper trivia quiz for a school assembly.  Big props to Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Lynn, Mr. Nuss and so many others for such an awesome effort!

IBJ has a very distinct snack culture! Our fifth grade readers (advanced subject group in reading in AIG-ese) meet during a snack time in their classrooms. Not all students bring snacks, and this disparity has been a discussion for these students. I have covered "snacks-for-all" for a couple of weeks, but what   students  have suggested is that they take turns bringing something. I was pretty impressed at their ingenuity - and their ability to work together to make this happen. They are suggesting the following: WAIT, before I share the schedule, please remember that Jones is committed to providing healthy snacks - not cookies, candy, or sweets!. Plus, if for ANY reason it can't happen - no big deal! We can cover it. Feb 4     AB Feb 11   AL Feb 18   AM Feb 25   EC Mar 4    JN Mar 11  BY Mar 18  GH We will complete the schedule for the year in the coming weeks. Thanks a million! It's great to work with such awesome families!

Here's a release from Asheville City Schools in regard to the new state School Performance Grades - to be released this week. Please read! State Issuing School Performance Grades (SPGs) this Thursday, Feb 5 th The North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation requiring our state to issue A-F grades for nearly all schools in North Carolina. The grades are coming out this week. While that may sound simple, it really isn’t. We don’t think the way the grades are computed reflects the quality of education our schools are providing. In fact, the Asheville City Board of Education passed a resolution calling for the development of an alternative grading system that would provide a more accurate reflection of true school performance. The grades are calculated using just a few numbers: 80% is based on proficiency on state tests (high school grades include a few other measures, such as graduation rates and ACT scores) and 20% is based on growth. Asheville City Schools i