The Plus Program
Welcome!
Melissa N. Peterson melissa@rmdeafschool.net voice phone 303-984-5749 video phone 720-235-0565 or 720-235-0005Upcoming Events: *April 22-Early Years 5:00-7:30 PM *April 28- Science Fair at 10 AM; Art and Science Show 6-8 PM *April 29- Board Meeting-Everyone is welcome
The Rocky Mountain Deaf School Plus Program has been in existence for two years now. The teacher has her masters degree in Multiple Disabilities Deaf Education from Gallaudet University. Students receive intense support in their areas of need throughout the day. The team is currently working on entrance and ‘graduation’ criteria for this growing population.
April 19- 23
This has been a busy week! Students took the Stanford Acheivement Tests (SATs) this week. They have been working on their Science Fair projects which will be available for viewing on Wednesday April 28 from 6-8 PM. Then we ended the week with a field trip to see Cinderella at the Mizel Center.
THIS WEEK
Reading: Students contained reading Things People Get from Trees when they were not taking the SATs. We worked on the main idea, recalling the story from memory and sorting what objects are made from the wood of a tree and what is grown on a tree.
Writing: The little time they had to do writing, because of SAT testing, students wrote about pictures they looked at and about the field trip.
Math: Some students are working on addition and subtraction facts, working on getting automaticity with facts. Other students are working on telling time. The last group is getting ready to switch focus from tens, hundreds, and thousands to tenths and hundredths decimal places.
April 5-9It was great to be back this week after a wonderful spring break. Students also seemed to be happy to be back into their regular routine. Students took a prescreening test this week to be ready with the appropriate level of test for the Stanford Achievement Test they will take later this month.
THIS WEEK
Reading: This week students continued reading their Dr. Seuss books from before spring break. Some students read The Eye Book while others read Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? We have had a lot of fun reading these books. Students worked on writing their own versions of their books and answering WH questions.
Writing: Students worked on writing about pictures they chose and what animals do.
Math: Some students worked on identifying the words “and” and “take away” and doing the correct calculation. Other students worked on fact families while the last group worked on the thousands place value.
February 22-26Last Friday I attended a phenomenal workshop about improving students’ memory skills (Memory Improvement in Children with Learning and Developmental Disorders by Joel Alexander Ph.D.). I gained a lot of new information. There are simple things we can all do to improve our memory skills:
1.) Having a regular bedtime
2.) Be outside for 1-2 hours between the hours of 3 and 5 PM
3.) Reduce your light exposure 1 hour before bedtime-this means no computer and no TV
4.) Turn on the lights when you wake up-bright lights help!
5.) Good nutrition
6.) Exercise
I will work from this end by adding some new activities and new strategies for learning information and if you can support us by doing some of the above at home I hope to see some significant improvement in their memory skills! Thanks for your support!
THIS WEEK
Students started CSAP-A testing this week. They have completed the math test and we will begin the reading and writing tests next week. Please make sure your child gets enough sleep and has a good breakfast and lunch for the next week! THANK YOU!
Reading: Students started reading new books this week. One group is reading No One Else Like Me which discusses different things different children like to do. The other group read Everyone is Special and Unique. This explores how individuals are different and how they are similar. The primary focus is that regardless of our similarities and differences we need to treat eachother with kindness and respect.
Writing: Students chose a picture from our picture card box then wrote about it following the sentence structure in No One Else Like Me which is as follows: Look at me! I have a ball. I like to play soccer. There is no one like me. Another piece of information I received from the workshop last week is that male students typically write more and are more motivated to write when they are able to schoose the topic. So I am planning on giving a little more flexibility in what students write about. Some students also worked on creating their own paragraphs about a picture chosen from the box.
Math: One group is working on place value and rounding. Another group started working on counting money, focusing on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters right now. The last group is continuing their focus on reading graphs and tables.
February 15-19THIS WEEK
Reading: This week students wrote and read their own books Baby Chickens since the class across the hall had baby chickens hatch.
Writing: Students focused on writing their books about the baby chickens.
Math: Two groups are working on place value, but at different levels of complexity. The other group started a new chapter on reading graphs and tables.
After lunch students do a variety of activities. Their first responsibity is to complete their class duty which changes daily and consists of watering the plants, taking care of the dog or the fish. Then they work on cooperative activities, fine and gross motor skills.
February 8-11THIS WEEK
Writing: This week students are writing about baby animals and their parents, especially baby birds.
Reading: Students are reading Baby Birds which is about how birds hatch, are taken care of by their parents then leave the nest. Students worked on identifying the main idea of the book, taking two column notes and retelling the story in detail.
Math: One group is expanding their work with place values by rounding numbers. Another group is starting their work with place values. The last group is finishing up their work with geometry.
We have started using our time after lunch to work on interactive activities such as games, PE and art. It seems to be going very well!
February 1-5THIS WEEK
Writing: This week students are writing about the people and animals that live on farms. They will explain what their responsibilities are on the farm.
Reading: One group of students is reading Corn: From Farm to Table. The other group is reading Living on the Farm. Students will be working on writing three column notes. They will write about the most interesting part of the book and practice their detailed retellings.
Math: One group started working on geometry. Another group is continuing their work on reading data from graphs and story problems. The last group is expanding their work with place values. On Fridays students are working on Singapore math which is a visual way to solve word problems.
January 25-29THIS WEEK
Writing: This week students worked on writing sentences about various jobs related to the books they read.
Reading: One group continued reading What People Do and the other group continued reading Community Jobs. Both groups worked on making connections between the text and their own experiences and retelling the story clearly.
Math: One group is continuing their work on place values. Another group is working on identifying and counting money. The last group is working on reading graphs.
January 19-22THIS WEEK
Writing: Students wrote about what they did last weekend, then adults helped them edit it and students rewrote it. They finished a writing project from last week ‘(who) runs.’ On Friday they drew and wrote about their home, what it is made of and what color it is.
Reading: One group of students is reading What People Do which briefly describes various people’s jobs and how they help others. Another group is reading Community Jobs which goes into more specifics about what the jobs entail. Both groups worked on previewing the books and at the end of next week they will work on retelling the story.
Math: One group is still working on place value, another group started working on using data and graphs to answer word problems, the last group is working on time, calendar and money skills.
All of the students afternoon programs that they work on with their aides are being revamped this week. It will be exciting to see them working on some new skills!
January 11-15Students and staff are really flourishing in our new classroom! It is great to see students supporting each other and working with various adults.
THIS WEEK
Writing: Students have been working on writing simple sentences with a subject and a verb such as ‘I see a (book).’ they replace the word book with different items. We are also working on handwriting skills.
Reading: This week we worked on what makes a good retelling. Everyday students read a book they had read last Fall then filled out a retelling form containing all the important parts of a retelling.
Math: Some students are working on place value while others are working on fact families, and still others are working on time and calendar skills.
January 6-8It has been a wonderful and exciting first week back! Before break we moved our classroom to a full size room! All the students are VERY excited about this change! There is a lot more space so students can work at different tables or desks which also enables us to do more group instruction and work. Students are learning more and more from each other! There are two windows so we have beautiful sunshine all day! This has been a great move for all of us and it will enhance students learning for the remainder of the year.
THIS WEEK
Writing: This week students wrote, edited and rewrote narratives about their breaks. They used pictures to prompt asking each other what they did over break then they wrote sentences about each thing they did. The next day they reread them, made some corrections and rewrote them. Lastly we used an ELMO projector to put them on the board and each student stood up and read aloud their narrative. Next we discussed our previous classroom and compared it to our new classroom. We made a list of the differences including the size, the number of tables, the windows, sink and more. Then students wrote sentences about what they like about our new room.
Reading: Students repeatedly read the narratives they wrote in order to rewrite them. We will begin new Guided Reading books next week.
Math: Students are working on various concepts and skills such as: measurement, addition, subtraction and place value.
Shared Reading: We did not have shared reading this week. Instead students read on their own.
I am really looking forward to this semester and I know each student is going to blossom just as the flowers will. Thank you so much for all you do!
Melissa N. Peterson
December 7-11It is cold and snowy outside, I hope you are all staying safe and warm! I will be assessing students from now until winter break to see how their skills have progressed this semester and check that against their performance when students return after winter break.
Each student has a part in their homeroom class play. They will be practicing the play from now until the performance on Dec. 17. Their homeroom teachers will let you know what clothes they need to wear for the performance. Please let us know if your child is unable to attend. Thank you very much!
THIS WEEK
Reading: We will continue reading Families by Gail Saunders-Smith. We will continue working on understanding how families are set up such as who a grandparent is and how they are related to you. We will show this in various ways to ensure comprehension. We will work on identifying the main idea of the story.
Writing: We will continue writing complete sentences about each student’s family.
Math: Some students are working on how to make change after purchasing an item. Other students are working on fact families and patterning.
Shared Reading: I decided not to move onto our community theme and will instead continue the theme of families for the month of December to ensure students understand family makeup. This week I plan to read My Mom is Fantastic! by Nick Butterworth.
Thank you very much for all you do to support your child’s academic success! Have a wonderful week!
Melissa N. Peterson
November 30-December 4
I hope you all had a wonderful week off and enjoyed your special time together over the holiday break!
THIS WEEK
Reading: This week students will be reading Families by Gail Saunders-Smith. In this story grandparents play with their grandchildren, aunts and uncles play with their nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters play with their cousins. The vocabulary is very challenging and we are working on understanding how they family system is set up. We are making links between the story and our families.
Writing: Students will work on writing complete sentences about their family.
Math: Some students have been working on using a made up menu for a restaurant, identifying the prices for various items and adding multiple item costs together to find the total cost for a meal. Other students are working on patterning, graphing and addition.
Shared Reading: This week we will be reading On the Town: A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley. This is about the various places in one’s community and the people who work there. We will do some map related activities as well.
November 16-20
Thanksgiving is upon us and I am so grateful for each one of my students and each of you for the support you give your child. All of them have made so much progress this quarter and it is a joy to observe and be a part of.
THIS WEEK
Reading: This week some students continued reading The Dippy Dinner Drippers while others read With My Mom and Dad. All students worked on making connections between their personal experiences and the book. Students also worked on taking notes on their book.
Writing: Students worked on writing simple sentences about their topic of choice.
Math: Some students have been working on using a made up menu for a restaurant, identifying the prices for various items and adding multiple item costs together to find the total cost for a meal. Other students are working on patterning, graphing and addition.
Shared Reading: This week we read His Mother’s Nose by Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas. It is about a little boy Percival whose family constantly tells him how he looks like them. He has his mother’s nose, his father’s eyes, his sister’s mouth, his brother’s hair, his aunt’s ear for music and his uncle’s head for math. Percival just wants to recognized and appreciated for who he is so he goes to his grandparent’s house and they show him a family photo album and that everyone has an aspect of another family member. We used the Elmo this week and displayed the book on the wall. This was great to hold student’s attention. Each student made a face by cutting and gluing eyes, ears, nose and mouth. At the end of the week we made Percival’s face from what is the same as each of his family members. It was a very successful and fun activity.
Students did a wonderful job turning in all of their homework on time this week! November 20 is the middle of the quarter and grades will be updated. Please check on your child’s progress at http://www.mygradebook.com/
Thank you so much for all you do to make your child’s education a success! Enjoy your time together during this break and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
November 9-13
This year is flying by and it is almost Thanksgiving! Students are making great progress academically and socially. They are all using more language and are having conversations with each other and other people. It is really exciting to see!
THIS WEEK
Reading: Some students read Families by Brenda Parkes. It is about different things families do together. Students drew pictures of their families. They made connections between the book and their experiences as well as taking notes. Other students read The Dippy Dinner Drippers and worked on answering complex questions about the story. Students worked on new vocabulary, relating the story to his/her experiences and taking notes.
Writing: We worked on writing complete sentences about a topic the students chose.
Math: Some students worked on addition and subtraction while others focused on their skills with money such as if he/she has enough money to buy an item and how much change he/she would get. Also some students worked on time lapse, how long certain activities take.
Shared Reading: This month we are focusing on families so all of our books are about families such as things they do together and how families are different. This week we read a book titled Kevin and His Dad by Irene Smalls. This is a story about a boy and his father who do chores around the house then they get to do fun things such as play baseball, go to a movie, and go out to eat. Students acted out the story while I read it. We started using the Elmo which displays the book onto the wall so it is easier for the teacher to sign and lots of fun for the students.
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for all of your continued support! Students have been doing a great job turning in their homework on time!
Melissa
October 19-23
This was a very exciting and fun filled week! Students went to Miller Farm on Thursday October 22. We were there most of the day and students were able to pick various vegetables, as seen in the pictures below. Students really enjoyed the experience. On Friday we discussed what order we picked the vegetables in then we wrote a story about the trip. Students did a great job writing this! Next week they will each make a book using the pictures taken.
We went to the Miller Farm on October 22, 2009.
Students picked potatoes at our first stop on the hayride.
Next students picked two kinds of corn: Indian and popcorn.
Then we picked carrots.
The last thing we picked was squash.
went on the swings,
We played,
and jumped on the big bouncy oval.
On Friday students celebrated the end of the first quarter with some educational and fun math games then they watched a movie.
This week:
Students have done a terrific job turning in their homework on time! We are really working to make them independent with the work, turning it in on time and monitoring what has been completed. If your child is struggling with completing homework independently please let me know and I will adjust it to provide more support.
Literacy: Some students have been reading The Monsters’ Party by Joy Cowley while other students have been reading What People Do by Peter Sloan and Sheryl Sloan. Both books contained a lot of new vocabulary for the students and we missed some time reading due to the special events this week so we will continue these books next week. Students worked on making connections between themself and the story as well as taking notes on the book. The older students worked on writing about the pumpkin farm field trip on Friday.
Math: Some students are working on skip counting while others are working on addition and subtraction with decimals.
Shared Reading: This week we read Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber. This was not a very entertaining story for students so I will have to choose one with a little more action for next week!
October 12-15
This week went by very quickly! Even with it being a short we got a lot accomplished and had a good week.
This week:
Reading: This week some students read Dan Gets Dressed while other students read Hands, Hands, Hands. All students worked on predicting what the book would be about and what would happen. We worked on making connections between what happens in the book and each students personal experiences. They are picking up this concept well.
Math: Some students are working on skip counting, addition and subtraction while other students continue refining their skills with money.
Shared Reading: Our shared reading book this week was Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka. Students role played the characters. We discussed the emotions of each character and why they felt that way. Students worked on facial expressions and body language to express the character’s emotions.
October 5-9
Mid-quarter reports are ready are ready to be viewed online at www.mygradebook.com. I will be mailing your user name and password as well as directions either today or Monday. Please check your child’s grades and if you have any questions or concerns please let me know.
This week:
Reading: Students have been reading Counting Seeds by Margie Burton, Cathy French and Tammy Jones. This was not actually about counting seeds but looking at the sizes of seeds, some food that has seeds and who eats seeds. We worked on making connections between the text and ourselves by writing on sticky notes in the book what our experiences have been with the seeds i.e. if he/she has eaten that seed and if they like it, what family member eats those seeds, any thoughts related to the pumpkin in the story (most students related it to Halloween). We also worked on taking notes using a two column format. From their basic notes they went into more detail using another form.
Math: Some students are working on subtraction while others are working on money.
Shared Reading: This week we read a book called It’s My Turn! by David Bedford and Elaine Field. It is about two friends, a dog and a cat, who go to a playground. The cat doesn’t let the dog have a turn to play on the equipment. After the cat becomes dizzy from the merry-go-round the dog has a chance to play. The cat decides it would be better to play together so they both go on the teeter totter. This was great to discuss emotions and how the animals feel when they don’t get to play with their friend.
September 28-October 2
Students had a great time on Tuesday at the Deaf Children’s Festival. Each student did a short ASL poem either A-Z or a number story. All of them did a fabulous job in front of so many people!
Next week I will be mailing out letters to you with information as to how to retrieve your child’s grades via our new online grading program. If you have any questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me .
Last week and this week our read aloud books have been about being Deaf and Deaf Culture. It has been good for students to see other Deaf children in stories and what their lives are like. Last week we read Dina the Deaf Dinosaur by Carole Addabbo. This week we are reading I’m Deaf and It’s Okay by Lorraine Aseltine, Evelyn Mueller and Nancy Tait. I break the story down into more short sections, only relay the information that is important to the story and make it more active for students so they can get the most benefit from it.
Students are working hard in the mornings during literacy and math time as well as in the afternoons. As time goes on our schedules, routines and expectations are becoming more clear.
August 31-September 4
I daily work with students on their reading and comprehension skills. Students did very well mastering the text this week and some of them wrote their own books about things they can do. They also answered simple and complex questions regarding the book (some examples are linked to this page). We are also working on handshapes and ASL Bridging (this is working on signing multiple English words for context rather than word for word thus creating a different meaning). Some of the bridges we are working on are: [all day], [all morning], [all afternoon], [all week], [all month], and [all year]. Students are writing in their journals in response to question I pose daily. Part of this week and next week will be focused on animals. For our Shared Reading book this week we read Who Cares About the Weather? We focused on identifying the front and back of the book and predicting what we thought the book would be about. Students also drew their favorite kind of weather.
Michael Kozlowski, my mentor, spent Thursday with us again, as he will do every week. Each week he and I will spend some time with each student and review their program (their skills and what we focus on), making changes to it as needed.
We have had a wonderful week and things are becoming more smooth and organized as time goes on! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns via the contacts above.
Thank you very much and have a great week!
August 24-28
We have had a terrific first few days of assessments and getting to know each other. On Thursday our mentor, Michael Kozlowski, will be with us for the day to start our year off strong! We look forward to a wonderful year with lots of growing and learning! This year I will be working with students in their mainstream classes during literacy time then they will come into our classroom in the afternoons for more intensive instruction.
