International Baccalaureate

Primary Years Programme Overview

The IB Primary Years Programme, for students aged 3 to 12 focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is a framework guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subjects areas, as well as transdisciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry-based learning.

View the video “IB Primary Years Programme Curriculum at ISD” to get an overview of the PYP and perspectives of the teachers.

Fickett Elementary Mission Statement

In a safe and nurturing environment, with collaboration of all stakeholders, we provide all students with a quality, rigorous curriculum that develops curious, experienced, and compassionate learners that think positively and globally. 

Fickett Elementary Vision

A school of excellence that empowers students to become curious, considerate, lifelong learners who are internationally minded and college and career ready.

IB Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and

rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

FICKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

R.N. Fickett Elementary Mission Statement
In a safe and nurturing environment, with collaboration of all stakeholders, we will provide all students with a quality, rigorous curriculum that develops curious, experienced, and
compassionate learners that think positively and globally.

R.N. Fickett Elementary Vision
A school of excellence that empowers students to become curious, considerate, lifelong learners who are internationally minded and college and career ready.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

Purpose
Fickett Elementary School believes that modeling, teaching, and practicing academic honesty is essential to preparing our students for their academic and professional careers. Even more importantly, practicing academic honesty with our students supports their development as young men and women who act with integrity, honesty and take responsibility for their own actions. R.N. Fickett’s Academic Honesty policy is framed by the
IB Learner Profile, most specifically, our students’ goals to be inquirers, knowledgeable, and principled.

IB defines academic honesty as “a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity and good practice in teaching, learning, and assessment.” Academic honesty is acknowledging responsibility for the production of students’ own work, recognition of the work of others, and maintaining honor and trust in the learning environments of our schools. We believe that in order to achieve this, it is important that we focus on educating our students to be principled, to recognize and celebrate authentic student work, and to take pride in promoting student learning through inquiry, which includes responsible use of information and communication of original work.

The Academic Honesty Policy is designed to define and clarify the expectations associated with the submission of authentic work. It provides staff, students, parents, counselors, and administrators with a common understanding of academic misconduct, defines the responsibilities of all parties in preventing academic misconduct, and encourages principled behavior in the learning environment of our schools.

In order to understand appropriate academic honesty practice, it is important to clarify behavior that can lead to an unfair advantage in academic work, hereby referred to as “academic misconduct.”

Definitions

Academic misconduct includes:

Plagiarism: “The representation, intentionally or unwittingly, of the ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgment.”

Examples of Plagiarism:

• Any representation of others’ work as your own 
• Non-original work that is not cited and appropriately referenced in submissions 
• Copying information from a book or a website 
• Misuse of quotation marks, paraphrasing, and in text citations which makes authorship unclear 
• Failure to identify the source of elements of nonverbal work (ie. painting, dance, photo, proof, musical composition, etc.) 
• Using online language translators unless explicitly allowed

Collusion: “Supporting academic misconduct by another student, as in allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another.”

Examples of Collusion: 

• Helping someone else cheat both deliberately and through support. 
• Allowing your work to be copied and/or submitted by another student 
• Divide and conquer approach where you are not the author of the entire assignment given by the instructor (if not part of assignment). 
• Representing significantly unequal work as an equal collaboration. 
• Writing a paper or doing homework for another student, both at the time as well as sharing completed work with students who take a course in the future. 
• Sharing information about assessment content and questions with other students.

Collusion is to be contrasted with collaboration, which we define as “multiple students actively engaged during the course as well as in the creation of a product per the assignment guidelines.” It is important to note that teachers must be clear with assignment guidelines to specify the difference between collaboration and collusion on a given task.

Cheating and accomplice to cheating: Cheating is behavior that results in a student making a deliberate choice to gain an unfair advantage in an assessment situation. An accomplice to cheating is someone who makes the deliberate choice to help another individual cheat. Cheating includes but is not limited to the following: 

• copying another student’s work (with or without his/her knowledge); 
• copying assessment tasks 
• forgery 
• using unauthorized notes or other study aids during an assessment 
• submitting work as his/her own that has been copied 
• communicating with other students during as assessment

Other Acts of Academic Dishonesty:

Duplication of Work: the presentation of the same work for different assessment components

Unfair Practice: Any other behavior that gives an unfair advantage to a student or that affects the results of another student.

Examples of unfair practice: 

• Falsifying records 
• Falsifying data 
• Sharing passwords 
• Using unauthorized materials 
• Disclosing information about assessments 
• Altering grades 
• Phony citations 
• Impersonating another person 
• Misconduct during testing times

It is the understanding of all school personnel that when a student puts his or her name on any assignment, they are submitting it as their own and acknowledging original ownership.

Roles and Responsibilities in Supporting Academic Honesty

Faculty (including teachers, Student Support Team, administration and support personnel): 

• Communicate appropriate collaboration versus collusion with each assignment. 
• Teach a recognized citation convention for written and non-written works. 
• Demonstrate and model academic honesty in presentations, etc.
• Report and record academic dishonesty through a referral and school notes 
• Assure that students in their class understand that when they submit a task as their own, they are expressing that they have not received nor given aid on assignments or assessments. Teachers can opt to ask students to use their signature to validate this point. 
• Minimize temptation for academic misconduct in assignments/assessment situations 
• Communicate with students, parents, counselors, administrators, about concerns and academic misconduct offenses 
• Involve students in reflection/discussion in the instance of academic misconduct.

Students: 

• Confirm understanding of academic honesty with signature on Academic Honesty Parent/Student Agreement each year 
• Report academic misconduct violations to a trusted school employee 
• Strive to produce authentic work 
• Understand that putting his/her name on an assignment certifies it as his/her own work, cited appropriately. 
• Minimize chances of academic misconduct by balancing time appropriately. 
• If an incident of academic misconduct occurs, either intentional or unintentional, complete a reflection process with the teacher. 
• Understand proper citation expectations for assignments 
• Ask for guidance when unsure

Administration: 

• Support academic honesty policy and investigate all counselor/teacher reports of academic misconduct. 
• Ensure that all staff, students, and parents understand definitions, responsibilities, and repercussions of academic misconduct 
• Ensure the academic honesty policy is implemented consistently throughout the school. 
• Provide staff development and guidance on academic writing and referencing systems 
• Provide teachers with material to guide students in maintaining academic honesty 
• Investigate academic misconduct when necessary. 
• Make parent and student contact to reflect on academic misconduct incidents

Parents, guardians, and/or outside support: 

• Read and sign the Academic Honesty Parent/Student Agreement. 
• Encourage child to practice academic honesty 
• Encourage child to cultivate a culture of academic honesty at home and in school 
• Address concerns of academic misconduct with their child and school personnel if necessary 
• Monitor tutors to assure authentic student work

Preventing Academic Misconduct

In order to prevent academic misconduct, Fickett Elementary is dedicated to teaching students the skills necessary to demonstrate academic honesty. Lessons will be taught through direct teaching and coaching, specifically in the areas of communication and research skills found in the Approaches to Learning. Students in 5th grade will be taught to cite their work and acknowledge sources as they complete projects that require research. Students will be guided through working collaboratively so that all members of a group work equally, and conflicts can be resolved if they arise.

Repercussions

When academic misconduct occurs, incidents will be addressed by the teacher with the student. When appropriate, the Director of Student Support Services will become involved and the incident will be reported to parents, and other administrators. The school will adhere to consequences as outlined in the school’s discipline policy.

Communication Plan

Fickett Elementary Schools Academic Honesty Policy will be published on the school website and in the Student Handbook. The policy will be discussed with PYP students and parents early in the school year, and referred to consistently throughout the school year.

Review of the Academic Honesty Policy

This policy will be reviewed and updated annually by the IB PYP Coordinator, Pedagogical Lead Team, Administrative Team and Student Support Team.

Sources: 

• PYP from Principles to Practice International Baccalaureate Organization. 
• Academic Honesty in the IB educational context (2014) 
• Daystar Academy Academic Honesty Policy 
• Bloomfield Hills School Academic Honesty Policy 
• Bunche Middle School Academic Honesty Policy

Written: March 11, 2020

Reviewed and Revised: October 20, 2023

Assessment Policy

R.N. FICKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT POLICY  

R.N. Fickett Elementary Mission Statement  

In a safe and nurturing environment, with collaboration of all stakeholders, we will provide all students with a quality, rigorous curriculum that develops curious, experienced, and compassionate learners that think positively and globally.  

R.N. Fickett Elementary Vision  

A school of excellence that empowers students to become curious, considerate, lifelong learners who are internationally minded and college and career ready.  

ASSESSMENT POLICY  

Our goal at Fickett is to guide students through the five essential elements of learning: understanding concepts, acquiring knowledge, mastering skills, developing attitudes, and taking responsible action.  

Purpose of Assessment  

(a) provide a clear conceptualization of intended student learning outcomes  

(b) provide a description of how these outcomes are assessed and measured  

(c) provide a description of results obtained from these measures  

(d) provide a description of how these results validate current practices or point to changes needed to improve student learning.  

Characteristics of Effective Assessment at Fickett  

• Identify criteria/materials to be addressed in advance (scope/sequence)  
• Allow children to synthesize and apply their learning   
• Promote student reflection and self-evaluation  
• Focus on the production of quality products or performances   
• Highlight children's strengths and allows them to demonstrate mastery and expertise  
• Allow children to express different points of view and interpretations  
• Provide feedback regarding every stage of the learning/teaching cycle  
• Base instruction on student needs, interests and learning styles (student-driven)  
• Involve collaboration between students and teachers  
• Involve producing evidence of student growth and learning that can be clearly reported and understood by children, parents, teachers and administrators  
• Begin with the end results in mind (backwards design - what students should be able to know or do by the end of a learning unit, lesson or process)  

Who is involved in assessment?  

Teachers, students, parents, administrators, and the community are involved in the assessment process in order for it to be effective.  

What do we assess at Fickett?  

• Understanding of concepts (big ideas that transcend within and across subject areas) 
• Mastery of the Ready to Advance (PK) and Georgia Standards of Excellence in all content areas (K-5)  
• Development/Demonstration of the attributes of the IB Learner Profile  

Types of Assessments 

• Diagnostic/Pre-assessment  

Assessments administered prior to teaching helps teachers and students find out what students already know (MAP, GKIDS Readiness, and District Benchmarks) 

• Formative Assessment is interwoven with daily learning and helps teachers find out what students already know, understand, and can do in order to plan for further student learning. Teachers use various assessment tools to keep records of student progress. ●

• Summative Assessment takes place at the end of a unit or learning cycle and allows students, teachers, and parents to evaluate progress over a period of time. State Assessments include: 

• Accessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs) measures English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English  

• Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA2.0) is designed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to the state academic content standards and given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge, concepts, and skills inherent in the standards.  

• Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) Ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students’ developing skills in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, Personal/Social Development, and Approaches to Learning.  

• Georgia Milestones (GMAS) Measures how well students are mastering the state adopted content standards in core areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies (grades 3-5)  

• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) The Nation’s Report Card, an overall picture of what students know and can do (grade 4)  

• Assessment of the Essential Elements of the Primary Years Program  

The five essential elements of the PYP are assessed through the units of inquiry and are recorded on completed planners.  

1. Knowledge - What students should know  
2. Skills - What students should demonstrate  
3. Concepts - What students should understand  
4. Attitudes - Expression of feelings and beliefs  
5. Actions - Taking action
    

5th Grade Exhibition  

The Exhibition is a requirement for 5th graders. The students will present their own collaborative transdisciplinary unit of inquiry that showcases the five essential elements of the PYP (knowledge, skills, concepts, attitudes, actions, and attitudes). Students are engaged in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems."  

How do teachers record student progress?  

Infinite Campus grading system is used to record student’s performance on the following: 

• Classwork 
• Homework 
• Projects 
• Performance Tasks 
• Test  
• Quizzes  
• IB Learner Profile Attributes  

IB Units of Study will be stored on Google Drive  

• Student Portfolios  
• Self-Assessments  
• Rubrics  

How is student growth reported to parents and students?  

• Report cards (four times per year)  

• IB learner profile reflection form (four times per year as they are a part of the district’s report card )  

• Parent-Teacher, Teacher-Student, Parent-Teacher-Student and Student-led conferences are held throughout the year and as frequently as needed  

• Unit of Inquiry progress reports (sent home after each unit of inquiry)  

• Teacher Communication with parents via notes home, phone calls and Class Dojo  

Written: March 11, 2020  

Reviewed and Revised: October 20, 2023 

a. Any minor who is in the physical or legal custody of the Department of Human Services (DHS) or Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), or any of their divisions, and is physically present within the geographical boundaries of the District, shall immediately be enrolled. When a student is being placed by DHS or DJJ into a new home or facility that would require a change in school or school system, the District shall consult with the student’s custodian to ascertain whether the student should be maintained in the school of origin or assigned to the appropriate school in the District in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act. Children awaiting foster care placement qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.

• Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by the county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS);
• A Georgia Driver's License, even if expired;
• Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state; V
• Valid U.S. passport ID;
• Valid U.S. military photo ID; or Valid tribal photo ID.

b. The District may request proof of legal custody in situations involving multiple adults claiming control of the same student.

c. A Special power of attorney, relative to the guardianship of a child of a military family and executed under applicable law, shall be sufficient for the purposes of enrollment and all other actions requiring parental participation and consent.

d. A transitioning military child, placed in the care of a noncustodial parent or other person standing in loco parentis whose residence is other than that of the custodial parent, may continue to attend the school in which he or she was enrolled while residing with the custodial parent.

e. A grandparent with a properly executed power of attorney for the care of a minor child may enroll their grandchild, without court approval, in APS if the grandparent resides within the district boundaries and if the specific conditions are met in the “Power of Attorney for the Care of A Minor Child Act,” O.C.G.A. 19-9-120 through 19-9-129.

f. If the person presenting the student for enrollment is not that student’s parent/guardian, grandparent, a person with military power of attorney over the student, or the student is eligible for Migrant Education Program, the school will require the enrolling person to fully complete the Kinship Caregiver Affidavit. The enrolling person must stand in loco parentis over the student (i.e., be charged with or have assumed the duties and responsibilities of a parent such as providing food, shelter, clothing and medical care). A copy of the Kinship Caregiver Affidavit is provided at the end of this regulation.

REQUIRED ENROLLMENT DOCUMENTS 

1. Other than students that are exempted by law or rule, before admitting any student to an APS school or educational program, APS will accept evidence in the order set below that shows the student’s date of birth:

CONDITIONAL ENROLLMENT

a. Students shall be enrolled in school by their parent, legal guardian, or a person standing in loco parentis. Enrolling adults must present proper identification upon enrollment. Acceptable forms of identification are:

• Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by the county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS);
• A Georgia Driver's License, even if expired;
• Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state;
• Valid U.S. passport ID;
• Valid U.S. military photo ID; or
• Valid tribal photo ID.

b. The District may request proof of legal custody in situations involving multiple adults claiming control of the same student.

c. A Special power of attorney, relative to the guardianship of a child of a military family and executed under applicable law, shall be sufficient for the purposes of enrollment and all other actions requiring parental participation and consent.

d. A transitioning military child, placed in the care of a noncustodial parent or other person standing in loco parentis whose residence is other than that of the custodial parent, may continue to attend the school in which he or she was enrolled while residing with the custodial parent.

e. A grandparent with a properly executed power of attorney for the care of a minor child may enroll their grandchild, without court approval, in APS if the grandparent resides within the district boundaries and if the specific conditions are met in the “Power of Attorney for the Care of A Minor Child Act,” O.C.G.A. 19-9-120 through 19-9-129.

f. If the person presenting the student for enrollment is not that student’s parent/guardian, grandparent, a person with military power of attorney over the student, or the student is eligible for Migrant Education Program, the school will require the enrolling person to fully complete the Kinship Caregiver Affidavit. The enrolling person must stand in loco parentis over the student (i.e., be charged with or have assumed the duties and responsibilities of a parent such as providing food, shelter, clothing and medical care). A copy of the Kinship Caregiver Affidavit is provided at the end of this regulation.

REQUIRED ENROLLMENT DOCUMENTS 

1. Other than students that are exempted by law or rule, before admitting any student to an APS school or educational program, APS will accept evidence in the order set below that shows the student’s date of birth:

2. Georgia Immunization Records

a. All children attending prekindergarten and k-12 programs must have a Certificate of Immunization (DPH Form 3231). The Certificate of Immunization must be on file within 30 days of the start of the student’s program.

b. Exemptions: All students, regardless of grade and including foreign exchange students, must have the Certificate of Immunization (DPH Form 3231) on file unless any of the following situations exist:

i. Medical exemption authorized by a medical doctor. This must be indicated on Form 3231, a letter is not sufficient. Medical exemptions must be kept on file, are valid for one year, and may be reissued from year to year until a physician determines immunizations can be completed.

ii. Conflict with religious beliefs verified by parents’/legal guardians’ sworn affidavit. The only affidavit that may be used to register a religious objection to required vaccinations is DPH Form 2208. The affidavit does not expire.

c. Per the requirements of the law of the State of Georgia, failure to present the above documents within the required timeframe will result in a student being withdrawn from school.

3. Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutrition Screening (DPH Form 3300): This certificate must be presented the first time a child enrolls at any grade level, including prekindergarten. Students transferring from another Georgia public school system are exempt from this requirement. For students transferring from any school system other than a Georgia public school system, the documentation must be received within three months. If this form is not received within three months, the child will be withdrawn and not permitted to attend school until the requirement is met. Children may register prior to completion of this examination, however, the Certificate must be on file within three months.

4. Official Transcript (Cumulative Record)

5. Social Security Card: The person enrolling a student must provide a copy of the enrolling student’s social security number or a form stating the enrolling person does not wish to provide the social security number.

FICKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IB CANDIDACY SCHOOL

Being an IB PYP Parent
The PYP is a strong curriculum framework, building knowledge, skills, attitudes and conceptual
understanding, as well as encouraging students to take action and become life-long learners. This
learning and personal development does not stop once the school day ends. As IB PYP parents, the
reinforcement and consolidation of student learning and development away from the classroom is
critical and powerful. Through the Learner Profile, the PYP aims to develop the whole child, fostering
positive attitudes and skill development.
The Learner Profile strives to build global citizens and life-long learners, challenging us all to be the
best that we can be in the home and school. As parents, using this language and terminology in the
home can be a powerful way of reinforcing these ten personal attributes. Below are some ways of
encouraging your child to continue their personal development using the Learner Profile.

Communicator:
Students who are COMMUNICATORS express their ideas by speaking, drawing and writing.
They can also communicate using mathematical language and symbols. They also communicate
in more than one language. They are good listeners as well. Being a good listener is an important
part of communicating with others.

How can parents help to develop students who are Communicators at home?

• Encourage your child to stay in touch with relatives and friends who live in other place by writing letters, using the phone or sending email.
• When working on mathematics homework, encourage your child to explain his/her answer to you orally or by drawing a picture.
• Ask your child thought provoking questions and encourage them to discuss them with you. For example:
  • What would you do if you were scared of someone at school?
  •  Is there anything you cannot buy with money?
• Should you get an allowance? Why or why not?
• Work with your child to improve his/her listening skills by modeling active listening.

Risk Taker:
Students who are RISK-TAKERS try new things and consider new ideas. They try to solve problems in a lot of ways. They have the bravery to tell people what they think is right.

How can parents help to develop students who are Risk-Takers at home?

• If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage them to attempt it and then reflect on both whether they liked the activity and how it felt to try something new.
• Your child might want to set some short-term goals. Consider activities that make him/her nervous. What are realistic goals for the week? Your child might set a goal to:
  • Offer an opinion in class
  • Spend one recess with someone they might not usually play with
  • Order something different from the lunch menu
  • Try an activity they haven’t tried before
• Sometimes being a risk taker involves doing standing up for what one believes. Discuss famous people like Martin Luther King, Jr. Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, etc.
• Be careful to explain to your child the difference between being a risk-taker by trying new things and doing dangerous things.

Principled:
Students who are PRINCIPLED have a sense of fairness and are honest with themselves and
with others. They understand that sometimes there are rules and they follow them. They have an
understanding of moral reasoning.

How can parents help to develop students who are Principled at home?

• Involve your child in deciding on the rules for a game or activity and then ensure that they stick to the ones that have been decided upon.
• Encourage your child to play games that involve teams. Discuss with your child the qualities of a team player. What sort of person would they want on their team?
• When your child wins a game insist that he or she is a well-mannered winner. They might thank their opponent or shake hands with them if it’s appropriate.
• When playing a game, don’t change the rules or let your child win. Being a gracious loser is just as important as being a good winner.
• Use the learner profile language when discussing home rules.

Thinker:
Students who are THINKERS work to solve problems independently. They can imagine many
solutions to a question or challenge. Thinkers make good decisions and can predict the outcomes
of their actions. They think creatively and critically.

How can parents help to develop students who are Thinkers at home?

•  Encourage your child to try to think of solutions to problems independently.
• Pose different real-life problems and questions to your child:
• “I’m not sure how to arrange the glasses so they can all fit in the cupboard.”
• “I wonder how much the groceries in the cart will cost? How can we make an estimate?”
• “We need enough cookies for the 25 people in your class. What kind of change should we make to our recipe?”
• Ask your children questions when they are working on a problem:
• "Do you have any ideas about how we might begin?”
• "How can we do this differently?”
• "I had never thought of that. Tell me more about it.”
• "What other ways can we show that?”
• "Why do you think that?”
• "How did you figure that out?”

***Give your child an opportunity to think; reflection time is crucial for developing thinking
skills.

Open Minded:
An OPEN-MINDED student knows that all people are different. They listen to the points of view of
others and consider many possibilities before making a decision. They celebrate the differences
that make all people unique.

• How can parents help to develop this Open-Minded trait at home?
• Encourage your child to try new things – new foods, new games and new activities.
• Expose your child to different festivals, celebrations and traditions and be sure to present them in a non-judgmental way.
• Encourage your child to really listen to others when they speak.
• Introduce literature about many different cultures into your home library. Be sure that it is appropriate and reflects the culture in an appropriate way.

Balanced:
Students who are BALANCED are healthy and are aware that eating properly and exercising is
important in their lives. They understand that it is important to have a balance between the
physical and mental aspects of their bodies. They spend time doing many different things. They
balance work and play.

How can parents help to develop students who are well-balanced at home?

• Encourage your child to participate in a wide variety of structured activities.
• During less structured time, also be aware of the activities that your child is participating in. Too much time in front of the computer or television is not desirable. Generally active kids should take time for quiet reading or reflection; students who spend a lot of time drawing or reading, should be encouraged to also exercise and play.
• Discuss the food groups with your child. Spend a few minutes during a mealtime deciding if what your family is eating is balanced.
• Spend time as a parent or family doing many different things.

• Spend some time reviewing their report card with them. They should have the opportunity to look at this document and consider it as well. Discuss it with them and truly consider their thoughts on their strengths and areas for improvement.
• Consider the goals that your child could set for the next term. Make a list not only of the goals, but of specific actions that can be taken to achieve these goals. You might want to list action that your child will take independently as well as action parents will take to support them. For example, if one of the goals your child sets for herself is to improve her writing, her action might be to keep a journal and write in it for at least 10 minutes each night. As a parent, you might decide that the two of you will participate in shared writing, for 30 minutes each week and produce a book of narratives together.
• Consider non-academic strengths and areas for improvement. Set goals and create an action list.

Caring:
Students who are CARING want people around them to be happy and are sensitive to their
needs. They think about the world and work to take care of their community and the environment.
They remember to treat others how they themselves would like to be treated.

• Role model the caring behavior you would like to see in your child all the time. Your child has big eyes and ears and notices everything you do. Using kind words, helping people without being asked, being an active listener all show your child that you care about people. Even a simple thing, like holding a door for someone, shows your child that you are aware of others around you and want to help them.
• Think about how your family can get involved with community organizations.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost
• Smile.
• After reading a book, spend some time considering how the people in the book acted.

• Encourage areas of your child’s interest by visiting the library to borrow books that explore these topics.
• Develop an understanding of the Internet. Work with your son or daughter when the Internet is being used and try to instill the understanding that some Internet sites are not reputable.
• Model being an inquirer. Admit when you don’t know the answer to a problem or a question and seek out answers in front of your child.

• Encourage your child to read books at home that correspond with the topics being covered in school. In particular, books in their mother tongue will help your child make more meaningful, lasting connections to what is being taught in their classroom in English.
• Ask your child about what they are learning in school and engage them in conversations about it: “Why do you think that is an important thing to know about?” “Can you think of anything happening in the world today that might be similar to that aspect of history?”
• Foster any area that your child expresses an interest in with books and activities, but also be sure to encourage them to explore other areas.
• Encourage your child to become familiar with current events and to read the newspaper and listen to the news when appropriate.
• Explore a topic and learn something new together.