If you were unable to attend the parent meetings we held at the end of April, below is a link to the Google presentation.
Click here to access the presentation
We will hold an additional meeting in the fall, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Lynn Spady (spady dot lynn @ westside66.net).
Thank you to those of you who have submitted questions regarding the EY identification process. The Google form is still available and we encourage you to enter your questions so we can prepare for the upcoming parent meetings.
Don’t Forget! We’d also like to have your input regarding your child’s strengths. What you observe at home and outside of the school walls is equally as important as what goes on in school. Please visit the following link to fill out a parent survey online: http://tinyurl.com/SIGSparent
Parent Meeting Dates
Tuesday, April 21 at Oakdale (6:30 pm in the library): This meeting is intended for parents of students at Paddock Road, Oakdale, Prairie Lane, and Rockbrook
Tuesday, April 28 at Swanson (6:30 pm in the library): This meeting is intended for parents of students at Hillside, Westbrook, and Swanson
Thursday, April 30 at Sunset Hills (6:30 pm in the library): This meeting is intended for parents of students at Loveland, Sunset Hills, and Westgate
Thank you for using the Google form to submit questions about the EY identification process. We are trying to be as transparent as possible and appreciate any questions you have.
Q. Under Tier 1, what does E/I time mean?
A. E/I stands for Enrichment/Intervention time (also referred to as I/E time). It is a 43 minute block of time each day in the schedule for students in grades 3-6. The EY team has tried to capitalize on the E/I block this year by providing a variety of resources. We started the year by coming into all classrooms once every 6 days to explain our blog, Symbaloo, seminars, and various other opportunities. We have also consistently communicated with classroom teachers about possible E/I activities/projects. Check out some of the results from E/I time on our Student Showcase Wiki.
Q. When does the next testing occur to move up a Tier?
A. Students take the SAT 10 and OLSAT in 3rd and 5th grade. In the past, these two grades have been the typical time for a student to qualify for EY. That being said, we are having discussions about how we can make the ID process ongoing based on a student’s need. We are also exploring ways we can provide more enrichment opportunities for the primary grades.
Q. Is testing ever based on age instead of grade?
A. The SAGES (Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students) is scored using a normal normative sample, which is stratified on the basis of age (as well as gender, race, ethnic group membership, and geographic location).
Q. These tests are one snap-shot of my child’s ability. What if the child does not feel well the day of testing? What else is taken into consideration?
A. Instead of using a single piece of data or a specific cut-off score to determine a child’s ability, we want to paint a more complete picture of a child’s strength(s) by using various sources of data. This includes input from the parents and classroom teacher. Many times, the classroom teacher can speak to the individual scores and tell whether or not they are indicative of the child’s performance in the classroom.
Q. Are Tier 1 services different than services provided to all students? If so, how?
A. Tier 1 services are open to all students, however, we hope to use a child’s participation in Tier 1 opportunities as a way to discuss and modify services needed. For example, a student receiving Tier 1 services might complete Math Minutes on a weekly basis. This tells us that the student has an interest in math and might benefit from some of the services we provide in Tier 2.
Recipe for Sharing Your Love of Reading & WritingYields: 120 students receiving a message of inspiration, perseverance, and hope!
Battle of the Books took a different spin this year at Westside Community Schools. The morning started off with kids arriving and putting their book projects on display. For each book read, students chose one project to complete. There were 3-5 project choices for each book ranging from dioramas, to writing a letter to the author, to doing further research on a topic in the book.
Drew, 4th grader at Swanson said: I loved doing the Battle Of The Books activities, and reading the books! Most of the books were amazing! 
Check out some of the student projects submitted!
Next, Omaha Playwright (and Westside graduate, parent and community member) Ellen Struve talked about her profession and love of reading & writing. Not only did she talk about her personal journey to becoming a playwright, but Ms. Struve also involved the students in creating their very own play! Throughout her presentation, Ellen embedded information about characters, dialogue, conflict, scene, and setting. Based on the engagement level and questions asked by kids, there will most likely be additional play writers emerging from Westside in the future!
We found 3 BOTB authors on Twitter and they graciously agreed to Skype with our students! Katherine Fitzmaurice, author of A Diamond in the Desert was up first. She emphasized all the research that went into writing the book and even showed us pictures of the real characters. She also showed students a pile of rejection letters and the numerous changes suggested by her editor. Her advice for students wanting to write a book: “You have to really like what you’re writing about. Believe in yourself and like your story!”
Our next Skype call was with Valerie Hobbs, author of Sheep. Many students chose to write Ms. Hobbs a letter for their book project and she graciously wrote letters back to all of them! Talk about making a personal connection! Several students read Sheep and fell in love with Jack, the border collie who tells the story.
Many students were excited when Ms. Hobbs shared information about the newly released sequel to Sheep. At the end of Sheep, Jack finds Luke at the Good Shepherd Home for Boys. Together, they are adopted by a couple and the sequel Wolf continues Luke and Jack’s story at their new home, a sheep ranch in Northern California. Ms. Hobbs’ writing advice for the students: “Do a whole lot of reading of the type of book you’d like to write.”
Our final Skype call was with W.H. Beck, author of Malcolm at Midnight. In addition to being an author, Ms. Beck is a school librarian. Her advice for students was, “Make sure to set aside time each day to write. You can make a list, write a short story, or just write down your random thoughts.”
Click Here for a Portion of our Skype Call With W.H. Beck
We didn’t forget the competition portion of Battle of the Books. Students worked in teams to answer questions about all 20 books. They used their iPads and participated in a Kahoot! created by Mrs. Lusero. Students also took an individual test on a Google form.
At the end of the day, Marla Fries shared her love of reading by telling the students about her Little Free Library. Marla is a WCS community member, retired administrator, and volunteer at Westgate Elementary.
After the event, one student was so inspired that she wanted to build her own Little Free Library! Check out Ava’s work!
Ellen Scott from our neighborhood bookstore, The Bookworm, also shared her personal story and love of reading with the students. She presented the kids with an opportunity to be on The Bookworm’s Kid Advisory Board. We are so fortunate to have a family-owned bookstore in our Westside community!
Friday, March 13th was truly a wonderful day to celebrate many accomplishments! To all the students who participated, Thank You for all your hard word and willingness to try something new. The EY Team learned a lot throughout the process and we look forward to hearing your feedback!
If you attended Battle of the Books this year, please consider leaving a comment and letting us know your favorite part! Also, click here for a quick survey about the day.
During the week of spring break (March 30-April 2), four enrichment classes will be offered to 2nd-6th graders at Westside Community Schools. All classes will be held at Westgate Elementary at 7802 Hascall St. Click on the flier below to find class descriptions and times. Classes are limited to 20 students so sign up today!
I recently attended the Nebraska Association for the Gifted (NAG) spring conference and attended many beneficial sessions. One in particular provided a wealth of reading suggestions for students and the presenters gave me permission to share the lists. Enjoy!
sun image taken from http://pdclipart.org
Not quite, but it’s never to early to start planning ahead! There are many great learning opportunities available for kids during the summer. There are a couple options listed below, but if you know of others, please leave a comment with the details.
Engineering Learning Center: http://www.timeforstem.com/
The Studios at TAG Academy: http://www.tagacademyomaha.
Strategic Air and Space Museum: http://www.sasmuseum.com/camps/
2015 Young Writers Camp: http://www.unl.edu/newp/2015-young-writers-camp
Blocks and Bricks Learning Adventures: http://www.tutorinomaha.com/about-us/summer-camp-2015/
Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha (TAG Academy) is an original start-up company offering services to area talented youth. The Academy was created to provide challenging enrichment opportunities for kids in areas such as robotics, computer technology (3D printing, coding, video game making, graphics, and more), higher order thinking, creativity, problem solving, performance arts, and studio/visual arts that do not currently exist in the metro area as an extracurricular option for motivated learners.
You can read more about TAG Academy and the courses they offer on their web page. Also, check our their March flyer by Clicking Here.
Westside Community Schools does not sponsor or endorse the company described here. The sharing of this information is provided as a community service.
As a mother of 4 active boys, I often struggle to find balance with family time, church, homework, sports, and the day-to-day things that just pop-up. I recently took my boys to Kearney to stay in a hotel where they could swim and go down water slides. This was their incentive (OK…maybe it was a bribe) for reading their books and finishing the projects for Battle of the Books.
What I realized in the months leading up to this was that I have 4 boys with very different attitudes and preferences when it comes to reading. We downloaded a couple of the books to my iPad which my 3rd grader seemed to enjoy. My 1st grader is in-between picture books and chapter books and isn’t quite independent yet. My 5th grader prefers non-fiction books about cars and sports, and my littlest one just wants someone to read to him.
This list of 50 Books Kids Should Read Before They’re 12 came in my email the other day from Common Sense Media and I thought it would be a great list to share with parents who may or may not know of some age-appropriate titles for their kids. Check it out and leave a comment below. What are some “must reads” for kids in your opinion? Do you have any advice for motivating kids to read?
The 2nd Annual WCS Elementary Science Olympiad was a huge success! Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of events that challenged their thinking.
The Zoo School facilitated a Wildlife Safari event where students practiced their observation and inference skills. The Barge Building event challenged students to create a foil structure that would float in water and support the most pennies. Mystery Powders had students identifying substances based on their reactions to different liquids. Other events included Rock Hound, Straw Tower, Mystery Boxes and Edible Vehicle.
It was a great day thanks to the organization of Sheree Person-Pandil and John Thomsen from ESU #3. We also had 9 amazing WHS students who shared their love of science by helping out at each event and facilitating a Science Bowl.
It’s so great to offer these types of opportunities to our students. Seeing the level of engagement and enthusiasm from the students is what makes our job so rewarding! Thank you to everyone involved in making this day a success! Click on the link below to watch a short iMovie trailer of the day.