Important announcements
Dear Families,
I am thrilled to be joining the faculty at SchoolPlus, and I am excited about working with your children. Although it is only September, I know that the new PARCC test is already on your minds, so I want to explain how I will incorporate PARCC and the new Core Curriculum Standards into my classes.
PARCC represents an innovative approach to standardized testing, which has long been problematic in New Jersey. I have met many parents who were dismayed when their child’s NJ ASK scores in reading comprehension and writing were much lower than their child’s report cards had led them to expect. The test used dull, outdated reading material that often bore no relationship to what children actually read, and it asked students to complete formulaic writing tasks that valued length above quality and creativity. PARCC seeks to improve the testing experience by providing children with an opportunity to display what they have learned.
In my classes, your children will read texts that enrich and expand on what they are learning in school. They will complete rigorous writing tasks that challenge them to think critically and to strengthen their fluency in both reading and writing. We will cover poetry, personal narratives, explanatory, and persuasive writing that connect to short reading assignments in a variety of genres. Your children will be challenged to think creatively about the English language and to master its nuanced vocabulary so that they can use it effectively in their own writing.
My goal is to enrich your children’s educational experiences with fun, energy, and creativity. I look forward to meeting you and your children, and I anticipate a productive year.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Breau, Ph.D.
I am thrilled to be joining the faculty at SchoolPlus, and I am excited about working with your children. Although it is only September, I know that the new PARCC test is already on your minds, so I want to explain how I will incorporate PARCC and the new Core Curriculum Standards into my classes.
PARCC represents an innovative approach to standardized testing, which has long been problematic in New Jersey. I have met many parents who were dismayed when their child’s NJ ASK scores in reading comprehension and writing were much lower than their child’s report cards had led them to expect. The test used dull, outdated reading material that often bore no relationship to what children actually read, and it asked students to complete formulaic writing tasks that valued length above quality and creativity. PARCC seeks to improve the testing experience by providing children with an opportunity to display what they have learned.
In my classes, your children will read texts that enrich and expand on what they are learning in school. They will complete rigorous writing tasks that challenge them to think critically and to strengthen their fluency in both reading and writing. We will cover poetry, personal narratives, explanatory, and persuasive writing that connect to short reading assignments in a variety of genres. Your children will be challenged to think creatively about the English language and to master its nuanced vocabulary so that they can use it effectively in their own writing.
My goal is to enrich your children’s educational experiences with fun, energy, and creativity. I look forward to meeting you and your children, and I anticipate a productive year.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Breau, Ph.D.