1 ROLAND PARK PRESS FIRST EDITION/ VOLUME 3 #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. On this day, we encourage students and parents to give back to the Tampa Bay community. A Memo from Mrs. Gillyard: The learner profile for November is Inquirer. What does it mean to be an inquirer? An inquirer is someone who asks questions or expresses ideas in order to learn about a particular topic. Our teachers are developing our students be life-long learners that are always questioning why things are the way they are? A major component of the IB Programme is to focus on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both within and beyond the classroom. We want our students to look for solutions; be able to problem-solve in difficult situations; and be challenged academically. This programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues affecting our communities locally, nationally, and globally. I am so proud of all our students and continue to be amazed on daily basis on the effort they put into their school work. I think that probably the most important thing about our education was that it taught us to question even those things we thought we knew. To say you ve got to inquire, you ve got to be testing your knowledge all the time in order to be more effective in what you re doing. ~ Thabo Mbeki ROLAND PARK PRESS NOVEMBER 2016 Upcoming Events at Roland Park: November 2 nd - Progress Reports November 3 rd - MYP Track Meet @ 6pm November 4 th - IMSOM Celebration November 4 th - Quarter 1 Celebration November 9 th - Veteran s Day Breakfast November 11 th - NO SCHOOL November 16 th - MYP Track Meet @ 6pm November 17 th - Great American Teach-In November 21 st -November 25 th - NO SCHOOL November 30 th - MYP Track Meet @ 6pm December 1 st - Evening of Inquiry @ 5:30pm December 8 th - Tropicana Speeches December 9 th - PYP Violin Concerts December 12 th -16 th - MYP Semester Exams December 19 th -30 th - NO SCHOOL *All dates subject to change*
2 ROLAND PARK PRESS FIRST EDITION/ VOLUME 3 PYP News von Ancken s Voice Rundle Round Up- Thanksgiving Basket Project In teaching our students to be Ambassadors of Action, we seek out school-wide opportunities for our students to offer aide to local and global citizens. Many of our neighbors and friends are in need of food this holiday season. Roland Park is continuing the tradition of generosity in providing families in need with nourishment; we invite all to participate in our annual holiday food drive. We invite you to participate in our Holiday Basket Project. We are collecting the following food items: boxed stuffing, boxed potatoes, canned cranberry sauce, canned green beans, gravy (packets or jars), canned yams, boxed corn bread mix, and brownie mix. All items can be placed in the donation bins located inside student services through November 16, 2016. Thank you for your support! 2016-2017 Application Period Just a reminder, Magnet Application season is among us. If you are interested in submitting an application for an incoming Roland Park sibling the elementary application dates are November 1- December 9 (application portal will close for winter break) and January 5- January 20. All applications can be submitted online at http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/ (Choice and Magnet options). You can expect to receive application results via email in late February. First Grade s Global Day of Play- Caine s Arcade International-mindedness is a frame of mind and needs time to be developed! We need to help our children and students to cultivate a strong sense not only about who they are and their own identity, but additionally, teach them a deep sense and awareness of other people, cultures, countries, and customs. In doing this we offer them a unique opportunity to be truly 21st century global citizens. In developing Internationally Minded thinkers we will create a generation of problem solvers who see issues not from one perspective but from many. The First Grade Team participated in the Global Cardboard Challenge, part of the Imagination Foundation's worldwide celebration of child creativity inspired by the short film, Caine s Arcade. First grade students designed and built games and other creations from cardboard, recycled materials and their imaginations. They shared their creations by inviting parents and fellow RP students to play their games while celebrating the creativity and imaginations of kids everywhere.
3 ROLAND PARK PRESS FIRST EDITION/ VOLUME 3 4th Grade Takes Action- Uniform Drive Last year, our current 4th graders learned about education across the globe. They focused on comparing school sites and resources provided to students in a variety of international settings. They learned that not all people have an equal right to education and that in some countries women and children are not provided with educational opportunities. This global issue has continued to resonate with our students. This year, they are continuing to broaden their understanding of educational hurdles and have taken action to increase school attendance. They have learned, through the Whirlpool Care Counts Program that one of the most common reasons kids do not attend school is because they do not have clean clothing to wear to school. In an effort to provide aide to those in need and decrease absence rates, fourth grade students have arranged a uniform/clothing drive. They are asking for new and gently used items to be donated. These will be delivered to local schools to assist those in need. If you would like to donate, please drop items in the donation box outside of Ms. Ely s classroom. Second Grade Garden Lesson We are very fortunate to have our International Garden to provide outdoor learning opportunities to our students. This month, our parent volunteers helped to facilitate a lesson with our second grade students. Their lesson focused on presenting some of the history of corn agriculture among Native American Indians, showing off our corn in the garden and discussing the use of different parts of the corn for different purposes in Native communities as well as the concept of companion planting with corn, beans, squash, and melons. The lesson finished with hands-on activities including corn grinding and shucking of black eyed peas. Dried cornmeal was available for demonstration and cornbread was brought as a snack for the kids to enjoy. The kids had a great time making unit connections while using our garden as a community resource. Please join us for Kinderville- November 3, 2016 This week, kindergarten students will present Kinderville for their showcase unit, How We Organize Ourselves. In this unit, students have focused on roles and responsibilities of citizens, community workers/places and their functions, and differentiating between wants and needs. On Thursday, November 3 (from 8:30-9 and 9:30-10:00) students will have an opportunity to present as a community worker and share information about the community building they are employed in. This activity is a great public speaking opportunity for our kindergarten students and incorporates many of our IB transdisciplinary skills including planning, speaking, and presenting research. Coffee, Tea, and IB Coffee, Tea, and IB is an informal setting for both prospective families and current families to learn more about the IB programmes offered at Roland Park K-8 Magnet School for International Studies with both IB coordinators. We will meet in the Media Center from 7:45AM to 8:45AM. Our next Coffee, Tea, and IB meeting will take place on December 15, 2016. Our discussion will be focused on Media and Digital Resources. This session will be led by our media specialist, Mrs. Martinez. We hope you will join us!
4 ROLAND PARK PRESS FIRST EDITION/ VOLUME 3 MYP News The Costanzo Column It is hard to believe that we are more than a quarter through the year! I hope that everyone was able to access their on-line report cards. If you have any questions and/or concerns please contact me. November also marks the beginning of track season. Coach Washington is excited to build on the success from last season. All of our meets are held at Jefferson High School and begin no later than 6pm. We hope to see you out there supporting our MYP students! A Minute with Mangueira This month in MYP, our teachers and students will be focusing on how to give back. Our 8 th grade students will be starting their Community Projects this month. These projects are an opportunity for them to work on something they are passionate about, be a true leader of service and make a difference in our school and community! The MYP will also participate in our school-wide food drive as well as Giving Tuesday on November 29 th. Survival Guide to Semester Exams!!! This year s 1 st semester exams will be taken December 12 th -15 th. There will be an exam for every class. Each exam will be 2 hours long. When a student has an A/B schedule for a class period, they will take both exams during the allotted time period and each exam will be 1 hour long. Tentative Schedule Monday 12/12 Tuesday 12/13 Wednesday 12/14 Thursday 12/15 1 st period Exam 2 nd and 3 rd period Exams 4 th and 5 th period Exams 6 th and 7 th period Exams Grading of Exams Exams have a different weighted value depending on the grade level. Grade 6 15% Grade 7 20% Grade 8 25% Below is the breakdown of how semester grades are calculated. Studying for Exams Study guides will be given for exams no earlier than two weeks prior to the exam. Students should be NOT wait till the last minute to start studying for the exam. Students are welcome to attend after school help sessions prior to exam week if they feel they need extra assistance with class material. Frequently Asked Questions Are the exams taken on computers? No. All exams are paper/pencil tests. Can my child take the exam early? No. The district only allows the school to administer the exams during the week of 12/12-12/16. What should I do if my child is going to be absent on an exam day? Make-up exams will be administered on 12/16. If your child is absent on that day then a make-up exam will need to be taken once they return from Winter Break. This will cause your child to receive an I or Incomplete for that class until the exam is taken and scored. *Please make sure your child gets a good nights rest and has breakfast each morning the week of exams!!!*
5 ROLAND PARK PRESS FIRST EDITION/ VOLUME 3 9 Week Grade Combinations Middle School Final Semester Grade Calculations Based on Exam Weight High School Credit Courses (Civics EOC) (HS EOC) 25% 30% 25% 30% 15% 20% A, A A, B, C, D A, B, C A, B, C A, B A, B, C A, B A A, A F D, F D, F C, D, F D, F C, D, F B A, B A A A A A A A A, B B,C, D, F B, C, D, F B, C, D, F B, C, D B, C, D, F B, C, D B A, B F F C A, C A, B, C, D, F A, B C, D A, B, C, D A, B, C A, B, C, D A, B, C B A, C F F D, F F D, F C A, D A, B A, B A, B A, B A, B A, B B A, D C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C A, F A A A A B A, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F B, C, D, F B, C, D B, C, D B, C, D C A, F F D A, F F F F B, B A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D A, B, C, D A, B, C A, B, C, D A, B, C B B, B F F D, F F D, F C B, C A, B A, B A, B A, B A, B A, B B B, C C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C B, D A A A A B B, D A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F B, C, D, F B, C, D B, C, D, F B, C, D C B, D F F D B, F A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C C B, F D, F D, F D, F D, F D D D B, F F F F C, C A A A A B C, C A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F B, C, D, F B, C, D B, C, D, F B, C, D C C, C F F D C, D A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C A, B, C C C, D D, F D, F D, F D, F D, F D, F D C, F A A, B A, B A, B A, B C C, F A, B, C, D, F B, C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D C, D D C, F F F F D, D A A, B A, B A, B A, B C D, D A, B, C, D, F B, C, D, F C, D, F C, D, F C, D C, D D D, D F F F D, F A A C D, F A, B, C, D A, B, C, D A, B, C, D B, C, D A, B, C B, C D D, F F F F F D, F D, F F F, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F A, B, C, D, F F Semester Grade