There
are three key elements of Parent Education: mandatory Classroom In-services,
mandatory subject-specific Parent Training, and optional Parent Enrichment.
Classroom In-services are led by the classroom teacher four times per year,
except for K when you will have five classroom in-services. The
subject-specific training will be conducted either by faculty volunteers,
outside instructors (as per Jr. Great Books) or Parent Volunteers. There
is no better way to learn a subject than to teach it, so please contact me if
you are interested in coordinating any of these training sessions.
Math
Training:
During your child’s 1st grade year we will train you on how to conduct Math
Explorations rotations. Math Explorations is an important hands-on
component of the Everyday Math Curriculum used in 1st-3rd grades. In the
2nd grade year we will give you an overview of the Everyday Math Curriculum as a
whole so you understand the spiraling curriculum and the integrated math
subjects. In 3rd grade the teachers introduce a supplemental piece
called Hands On Equations that is approved by the District and fits very well
with Everyday Math. Hands On Equations is an introduction to Algebraic
concepts using manipulatives. That training can be done as a home-study
course or in an interactive classroom setting
Writing
Six Traits of Writing
Part A will cover lower elementary writing and Part B will be for upper
elementary writing. These will be expanded courses taught by the faculty that
will go into more depth at each level.
Science
Lab Training will
be an extension of how we do Math Explorations. We will train you in the
organization, maintenance and safety rules of the Science Lab. A group of
you will then be scheduled as we do for Math Explorations to come in and set up
the lab for the class, facilitate the hands-on lab in small groups, and then
clean it all up! We want to make the most of our Science Lab when it is
back from modernization.
Library
- Technology Center (LTC) We
plan to schedule you for grade-level LTC training about every other year.
Training will cover both the library and the computer center. You will
learn how to assist the part-time librarian and computer specialists and really
leverage their time to the fullest.
How
To Share Your Expertise in the Classroom—One
of the unique things about Cornerstone is how our parents share their own
talents and passions. The Education Chairs want to be sure we use those
gifts, but in a way that enriches the curriculum. So we’ve got one of
our master teaching parents lined up to lead a class in how to do this
effectively whether its as simple as a 20-minute activity or as monumental as
The Dig.
Junior
Great Books is
probably the most ambitious and demanding parent training course we offer.
For this reason it is the one voluntary component of the subject-specific Parent
Training. Basic training is a six-hour course conducted by the Great Books
Foundation (it used to be a twelve-hour course). Because it is so
challenging, we want to try to maintain our level of training by
conducting in-house annual round table refresher training.
There is widespread interest among teachers, principal and parents to develop or adopt a program for managing and guiding the development of children’s social skills on the playground as well as the classroom. We are researching and investigating various programs.
Parent Enrichment is the optional speakers or programs we bring in that enrich your function as a parent at home and in the Cornerstone Community, but are not necessarily essential to your participation in the classroom.