This document summarizes the plans for Brent Elementary School for the 2013-2014 school year. The goals are to provide an academic, ethical and personalized education to nurture self-motivated, creative and critical thinkers. New initiatives include increased communication methods, principal and teacher office hours, a Reggio Emilia approach in pre-K and PK, Responsive Classroom in K-5, field trip requirements, museum exhibit nights, and leveled math classes in 3rd-5th grade. Homework, class sizes, daily schedules and enrichment opportunities are also outlined.

1. School Plan 2013-2014
Brent Elementary School

2. Brent’s Vision
At Brent, we bring together a diverse
learning community of students, staff
and families to provide an
academic, ethical and personalized
foundation for success in a global
society. The goal is to nurture self-
motivated and joyful learners who are
creative and critical in their thinking and
highly capable in their communication.

3. Communication
• Tues News
• Weekly Communication Email from Classroom Teacher
• Communication Folder
• Progress Reports*
– Families will receive a short mid-advisory progress report (4 times per year).
• Class Syllabus*
– Families will receive a class syllabus at Back to School Night. Syllabi will include a long-term
curriculum plan, as well as first semester field trips, teacher contact information, as well as other
classroom expectations.
• Grade levels Web sites*
– Each grade-level team will have a website. It will be used to update parents and students on
homework, calendar information, homework policies, teacher contact info, etc.
*New for 2013-2014

4. Principal Young Office Hours (PS3-5)*
-One day/month I will dedicate a morning, 8-9am for
parents to meet with me.
• PS3/PK4
• K/1
• 2/3
• 4/5
*New for 2013-2104

5. Staff Office Hours*
• All classroom teachers, Specials teachers, SpEd
teachers, and Specialists (Reading, Instructional
Coach) will dedicate 30 minutes/week, to host
“office hours.”
• Will occur from 8-8:30am, or 3:30-4pm
• Pilot project for 2013-2014, more info by end-of-
year
*New for 2013-2014

6. PS and PK: Reggio Inspired
• The Reggio-Emilia approach is based on the idea
that young children learn best through hands-on,
meaningful experiences.
• Children have control over the direction of their
learning.
• Children are able to learn through touching,
moving, listening, seeing, and hearing.
• Children develop relationships with other children
and with material items in the world.
• Children are encouraged to express themselves
in limitless ways, through words, movements,
music, drawing, painting, building, etc.

7. K-5: Responsive Classroom
• Morning Meeting*
• Closing Meeting
• Guided Discovery
• Logical Consequences
• Calm Down Space
• Buddy Classrooms
*Morning Meeting will occur after an initial 10-15 minute morning
work period.

8. Healthy School Initiatives
• Healthy Choices-DC Healthy Schools Act
– No candy/sugar products will be handed out to
Brent students.
• Birthdays
– No candy/sugar products will be brought in for
birthdays so as to be in alignment with the
Healthy Schools Act.
• Salad bar
– Mon, Wed and Fri (3rd-5th)
• Recess: 45 mins/day (PS-1), 30 mins/day (2-5)

9. K-5: Field Trip Experiences
• Expectations*
– All classes take a minimum of 5 field trips during the year that
support curriculum instruction. Four out of those five trips must
consist of:
• At least 1 field trip to a nature or historical site
• At least 1 trip to an art gallery
• At least 1 trip to a performing arts program
• 1 “Capstone” Field Trip in the Spring
– Field trips are mapped out in advance for each semester to
correspond with curriculum units.
• In-class Pre- and Post-Field Trip Work
– Students prepare for field trips through classroom instruction
– Students have an opportunity to reflect on field trips
– Students incorporate learning from the field trip include future classroom
activities
* New for 2013-2014

10. K-5: Museum Studies
School-Wide Museum Exhibit Nights (2)
• Fall: Social Studies Focused
• Spring: Science Focused

11. K-5: Readers/Writers Workshop
• Mini Lesson
• Conferencing
• Sharing/Reflection Time

12. K-5: Growing Readers
• Book Shopping
• Guided Reading Groups
• Strategy Groups

13. K-5: Growing Writers
• Writing Process
• Writing Units
• Grammar*
– Grammar instruction will be a combination of embedding skills
into Strategy Lessons as well as explicit skill instruction. Students
will be expected to master specific skills in each grade.
* New for 2013-2014

14. K-5: Word Study
• Word Study- “Words Their Way”*
– Students will be required to learn and spell grade-
specific lists of common words known as “Sight
Words.”
– Greek and Latin Roots: 4th and 5th grade
• Vocabulary
– Students will be required to learn “Tier 2” 5-8
vocabulary words during each unit of study.
* New for 3rd-5th grade in SY 2013-2014

15. K-5: Investigations Math
• Varied Learning Experiences
– Individual, small group and whole class learning
experiences.
– Students will be required to take a weekly math fact
quiz and will track progress throughout the year (2nd-
5th)*
• Higher-Order Thinking
– Activities that help develop spatial and number sense.
– Students demonstrate and explain their strategies.
– Students work fewer computations, but more
problems that require higher-order thinking.
* New for SY 2013-2014

16. K-5: Investigations Math
• K-2 Assessment
– Formally at beginning and end of school year,
informally throughout school year.
• 3-5 Assessment
– Students assessed formally at beginning and end
of school year.
– Students take the A-Net assessments 4 times per
year.

17. 3rd-5th Grade Leveled Math*
• Six math classes: 3rd (2), 4th (2), 5th (1) and 6th grade
math (1).
• Mr. Mangiaracina will teach the 6th grade math class.
• All students will take a pre-assessment at beginning of
year.
• The pre-assessment reflects end-of-year expectations.
• Based on a assessment proficiency level, previous year
CAS scores, as well as teacher observations, students
will be invited to participate in the higher grade-level
class.
* New format for SY 2013-2014

18. Specials (PS3-5th)
• Art
• Music
• Physical Education
• Chinese*
• Library (PS3-K**)
• Science (1-5***)
*Additional Chinese Class: 2nd-5th graders, one morning each week, 8-
8:45am
**Students in grades 1-5 have a 25 minute check-out period once a week.
***Classroom teachers in grades 1-5 will be required to teach a 45
minute, weekly science block in order to support Mr. Mangiaracina’s lab
science class.

19. Science/S.S.: 3rd-5th
• 135 minutes a week of science instruction*
• 90 minutes (science) each week will consist of
a lab (taught by Mr. Mangiaracina), and the
other 45 minutes will be taught by the
classroom teacher.
• Classroom teacher will teach all S.S.
*new DCPS scheduling requirement for SY
2013-2014

20. K-5: Homework Expectations
Kindergarten:
• NO HOMEWORK
First Grade:
• Weekly homework packet that encompasses math,
reading and word work. Reading expectation is 10
minutes nightly
Second Grade:
• Weekly homework packet that encompasses math,
reading and word work. Reading expectation is 20
minutes nightly.

21. Homework cont.
Third Grade-Fifth Grade
• Nightly homework that includes: 30, 40 or 50 (3rd-
5th) minutes of reading and a math assignment.
• Word work/vocabulary work assigned as needed.
• Weekly math review packets (3rd-5th): past
content, current content, and future content.
• Content homework (science & social studies)
assigned as needed.

22. Special Education Support
• 3 full-time Special Education Teachers (down
from 4)
• 1 part-time Social Worker
• 1 part-time School Psychologist
• Inclusion Program
• SST Process
• Individualized Education Plan

23. Brent’s Classrooms: SY 2013-2014
• PS-PK: 5 classrooms, including PS/PK
multiage, 5 aides
• K: 2 classrooms, 2 aides
• 1st: 3 classrooms, no aides*
• 2nd: 3 classrooms*
• 3rd: 2 classrooms
• 4th: 2 classrooms
• 5th: 1 classroom
* New for SY 2013-2014

24. Kindergarten
• 24-25 students per class
• 30-minute Lunch with First Grade
• Morning and Afternoon Recess (45 minutes total)
• Specials: Art, Music, Library, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction:
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 minutes Academic Choice Time

25. First Grade
• 17-19 students per class (projection)
• 30-minute Lunch with Kindergarten
• Morning and Afternoon Recess (45 minutes total)
• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction:
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 Science / Social Studies

26. Second Grade
• 17-19 students per class (projection)
• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Third Grade
• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction:
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 Science / Social Studies

27. Third Grade
• 24-26 students per class (projection)
• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Second Grade
• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 Science / Social Studies

28. Fourth Grade
• 22-24 students per class (projection)
• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Fifth Grade
• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 Science / Social Studies

29. Fifth Grade
• 16-20 students (projection)
• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Fourth Grade
• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese
• Daily Instruction
– 120 minutes of ELA
– 90 minutes of Math
– 45 Science / Social Studies

30. In-School Enrichment Opportunities
• BURST (Reading)
• War College (Reading/Math Mentors)
• Everybody Wins (Reading Mentors)
• Literacy Enrichment (Ms. Cruz)

31. Extended-Day Academic Enrichment
Opportunities
• Math Academy (DCPS sponsored)
– Twice a week, one-hour sessions.
• Extra Chinese Class: 2nd-5th graders, 8-
8:45am, once a week (for now!)*
* New for SY 2013-2014

32. Afterschool Sponsored Clubs*
• Odyssey of the Mind (Grades 4-5)
• Spelling Bee (Grade 1-5)
• National Geographic Club (Grade 3-5)
• Continental Math Club (Grades 2-5)
• Brent Newspaper (Grades K-5)
• Girls on the Run (Grades 2-5)
• Young Women in Math (Grades 3-5)
• Bird Watching Club (Grade 1-5)
• Pottery Club (Grade K-3)
• Cartoon Club (Grade 3-5)
• Debate Team (3-5)
• Ceramics (2-5)
*Subject to change

33. How Do We Get There?

34. Questions/Comments?