What Matters Most?

What Matters Most? Parent Resources
It was great to see many of you at Back to School Night!  I appreciated the opportunity to share key research-based strategies that you can do at home that significantly impact your child's achievement.  In reading the following three T's are recommended:  Time, Text and Talk.  There is a direct correlation between the amount of time students read at school and at home and their performance.  Every minute counts, so engaging your child in a text of his/her choice that he/she can accurately read and comprehend is key. Also talking with your child about what he/she is reading and modeling your excitement for reading goes a long way.  

In math it is essential to build students' math fact fluency without using a timer.  Removing a timer helps send the correct message that math is about thinking, not speed.  Having students practice with flash cards that visually represent the answer to an addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problem, similar to the ones used by our Investigations Math series, builds a conceptual understanding of what the operations stand for.

Finally, parents are able to promote students' academic and social emotional growth by honoring mistakes and promoting a growth mindset.  Using more positive phrases such as, "I don't have this concept yet" instead of "I can't do this" promotes resiliency.  Brain research also shows that the brain grows synapses when mistakes are made.  Because the academic and social learning that results from making mistakes is great please encourage your child to take risks. 


Must Have Parent Resources

Several important parent resources were shared at Back to School Night that are also linked to our school website.  If you click on the class website link and then your child's grade level you will find several of the materials that were shared. 

Math and English Language Arts Proficiency Standards are the outcomes your child will master by the end of the year.  The standards are grade specific and an example of second grade outcomes is listed below.  The Investigations Math Words and Ideas site provides examples and videos that explain how mathematical concepts are taught in the classroom. The link to Investigation Math games is a great resource for students to practice math concepts. 

Math Words and Ideas
Math Games (K-5)
Second Grade Math Standards

Second Grade ELA Standards


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NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).