Welcome to the Ames and Weymouth Schools

In reading/language arts at all grade levels and in all schools, my major goal is to teach the children to think critically about their reading. We also call it "digging deeper." In using critical thinking skills, they not only stop and look up words they don't know, they also learn more about the author and the point of view from which the book is written before they read. They understand if the setting, characters, and story are real or not. They might be studying a time period, person, place, or thing in the story to learn more about the past, present or future. I try to be flexible to the students' interests. They write their own critical thinking questions for each other. They ask how and why. During their study of a book of high interest and reading level, it is my goal to work closely with the classroom teacher to be sure the students do not miss any grade level skills. Overall, by the end of the year, I want the students to develop a love of reading; to desire to learn from the books they read for pleasure, not just read quickly through them without thinking and "digging deeper."

The math students are currently working on math problems which make them think systematically and sometimes "outside the box." I started with Sudoku puzzles to see how students think and see which students really enjoyed them. Now Sudoku puzzles are optional for something to do if they have completed other assignments for me and their classroom teacher. Later in the year I will teach them other mathematically related games such as chess. Your children are also being challenged to memorize their basic multiplication facts and understand how to use them in reverse for basic division. It would be helpful for you to check your child's knowledge of the facts and help them in this area. I believe strong basic skills are needed in the Extended Learning Program (ELP) if we are going to learn higher skills. Rather than striving to move any students a full school year beyond their classmates this year, I hope to develop basic skills beyond grade level expectations making it possible for them to move a full year beyond their grade level by the end of fifth grade in future years.

This is probably the first year that your child is having a year long ELP program. The third graders are just getting started due to a slightly delayed NWEA test schedule. The NWEA tests are not the only criteria for selection for the ELP program, but they are important because they show exact strengths and weaknesses and give an indication of which students will be successful in ELP. Teacher recommendation is especially important due to some children's inability to test well. Once again, I want to remind you that your child may be in the program as one of the top students in his/her class, but may not actually test as gifted and talented on NWEA tests. I will be asking your permission to administer other tests to certain students in the spring to determine appropriate groups for next year.