This week kicks off our annual A.O.K. Coin Drive. A.O.K. stands for "Acts Of Kindness." Each year students bring in (harvest) coins. The money collected is then used to help Victoria families who may need assistance during the holiday season. At Victoria, we believe all students and staff should treat others with kindness and respect. Children need specific examples of how they can demonstrate these characteristics. The following list includes other "acts of kindness" that can been given to others:
Respect other’s rights and property
Share with others
Help others feel better when they're hurt or sad
Play with a new student and help him/her make friends so he/she won't feel lonely
Work quietly in class so others can concentrate
Treat others the way you would like to be treated
Politely listen when someone is telling you something
Hold the door for a kid whose hands are full
Use words that show kindness, such as: "please" and "thank you"
Did your grandparents give you a dollar for each A on your report card? Did you spend your high school years hoping you would squeak by with C's in important classes? Did you ever see the dreaded F on a paper, test or your report card?
Like many other districts across the nation, RUSD schools pair standards-based report cards with standards-based teaching. Parents, teachers, and students get more information about achievement towards to grade level standards (what students should know and be able to do by the end of the year).
Because this way of grading is so different from when we were in elementary school, here is some information to help you understand it better. Imagine two different grade books for the same set of students, as shown in the table below. Which one of the two better illustrates what students know and what they still need to learn?
Comparing Traditional and Standards-Based Grade Books
TRADITIONAL GRADE BOOK
NameHomeworkQuiz 1Chapter 1 Test
John906570
Bill5075 78
Susan1105062
Felicia109085
Amanda9510090
STANDARDS-BASED GRADE BOOK
NameObjective 1Objective 2:Objective 3:
Write an alt.Identify elementsCompare/Contrast
ending to storyof a storytwo stories
JohnBasicProficientBasic
BillProficientBasicBasic
SusanBasicBasicBasic
FeliciaAdvancedProficientProficient
AmandaBasicAdvancedProficient
The standards-based grade book gives a wealth of information to help the teacher adjust instruction. Note that two objectives (1 and 3) may require more class instruction. The notations for Objective 2, on the other hand, suggest that the class only needs practice and one student needs some reteaching.
Students can also see much more information about their learning. In the traditional grade book, Amanda would assume she is in great shape, but standards-based grading reveals that she has not mastered a crucial concept.
Gifted and talented students can be truly challenged in a standards-based classroom because if they show early mastery of fundamental skills and concepts, they can then concentrate on more challenging work that is at higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy or that seeks connections among objectives.
I am the principal of Victoria Elementary School in Riverside Unified School District. I have been in education for many years as a classroom teacher, categorical program specialist, assistant principal, and principal. It is my honor to serve the Victoria community of students, parents, and staff.
This week kicks off our annual A.O.K. Coin Drive. A.O.K. stands for "Acts Of Kindness." Each year students bring in (harvest) coins. The money collected is then used to help Victoria families who may need assistance during the holiday season.
