Monday, August 26, 2013

Welcome to Morrison Elementary



Welcome to Morrison Elementary

Dear Parents/Guardians:
The staff and administration of W.F. Morrison Elementary is looking forward to working with students, parents/guardians and the community to provide a quality education in a caring, safe environment. As the new year kicks off, we would like to make you aware of some changes in drop-off, pick-up procedures and curriculum.
School Safety: Drop-off, Pick-up Procedures
To ensure the safety of our students, the semi-circle in front of the main entrance will be used only for drop-off and pick-up of students during designated times. No parking is allowed during these times:
7:30-8:30 Daily
3:15-3:45 Monday-Thursday
2:00-2:30 Friday
Please note the one-way pattern that traffic should follow in this area.  Also, traffic is prohibited in the school bus area when the buses are loading and unloading.
Curriculum
We are excited to let you know that our school will be implementing new reading and math curriculums that aligned with Montana’s Core Common Standards.  The Core Common Standards require that schools implement programs that are scientifically researched based and are grounded in best practices. 
Math
The program selected for math is Go Math! published by  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  This program received top scores on the Publisher’s Criteria for the Common Core Standards. The strong focus of the standards in the early grades includes the concepts underlying arithmetic, the skills of arithmetic computation, and the ability to apply arithmetic to solve problems.  The program has online components that can be accessed from home.  Your child’s teacher will let you know how to access these. Parents can help their children succeed in math by practicing basic computation facts: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Reading
The reading program adopted by the district is Reading Wonders published by McGraw-Hill. It is the first and only reading program designed specifically for the Common Core State Standards for Reading/Language Arts. The program is designed to provide a strong reading foundation.  Students will learn skills and strategies for understanding different kinds of text: fiction and nonfiction.  Additionally, students will have many opportunities to develop writing skills.  Parents can help their children become skilled life-long readers by reading to them and by encouraging independent reading.
Your interest, praise, and encouragement are sure to lead to your child’s success in school.  Here’s to an exciting year of learning and growth!

Sincerely,
The Staff of W.F. Morrison Elementary