ELEMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS
Elementary Math Parent Night a Success
Fox Chapel
Area
elementary
teachers and
administrators
held a math
parent night
in October to
teach parents
more about
the district’s
Eureka
math program. “The purpose of the evening was to provide
families with information associated with our elementary math
curriculum and provide them with materials and resources
to use at home,” according to Ashley Constantine, Ed.D.,
the district’s executive director of elementary education and
instruction. “Partnerships with parents are essential to provide
the best education possible for our students.” The next math
parent night will be held January 31, 2019, from 6-7:30 p.m.
in the Fox Chapel Area High School large group instruction
room. The evening will include a basic introduction to the
Eureka math program and an overview by the teachers. To
register, visit https://tinyurl.com/yav42u4a.
The district has also launched a new elementary math parent
website with resources for parents. The site is https://www.fcasd.
edu/academics/elementary-program/math-program.html.
Elementary Students Become Published Authors
Elementary
students
are eagerly
exploring
creative
writing and
experiencing
the process
of becoming
a published
author. In a
collaborative
effort with the Cooper-Siegel Library children’s department,
students in second through fifth grades were presented with
the opportunity to help build up the young authors section of
the library by adding their own published stories.
“Working with the local librarians brings a sense of
authenticity to the unit that really sparks student engagement
and motivation,” said Susan Kreit, a gifted support teacher at
Kerr and Fairview Elementary schools.
The project is part of the Creative Connections Capstone,
one of three capstone experiences that are included in the
elementary gifted curriculum. This cross-curricular, project-
based approach to learning is designed to enrich the studies
18
FOX CHAPEL AREA
of both gifted and high-achieving English Language Arts
learners. Students engage in a series of writing mini lessons
focusing on topics such as planning, story structure, voice,
audience, word choice, revising, and public speaking.
Ava deBruyn, a fifth-grader at Kerr Elementary, said, “I’ve
always written my own stories at home, but it’s been really
cool to get to publish one for other people to see.” Ava
wrote a picture book for young children called “A Gerbil’s
Adventures,” a fantastical account of the funny adventures
that a pair of gerbil sisters face upon moving to a new home.
In December, student authors at each of the elementary
buildings read an excerpt of their soon-to-be-published book
to an audience of peers and families at a special Authors Share
and book signing event. The finished products will be on
display in a special Young Authors section at Cooper-Siegel
Library and in the Fox Chapel Area school libraries for friends
and community members to browse and enjoy.
Elementary STEAMs Ahead
Fox Chapel Area School
District’s integrated
Science, Technology,
Engineering, the Arts, and
Mathematics (STEAM)
curriculum cultivates a
learning environment
that fosters creativity and
ingenuity. Students solve
problems by conducting
investigations guided by
teachers, partnering with
peers, and even creating
their own experiments. In
addition to using state
standards to guide
instructional choices, the team uses Habits of Mind (problem-
solving, life-related skills) to frame inquiries.
Michelle Ulanowicz, a kindergarten teacher at O’Hara
Elementary, said that Habits of Mind enables students to
learn to think flexibly while listening with understanding
and empathy. “Integrating Habits of Mind into our STEAM
curriculum allows students the opportunity to use these skills
through the excitement of inquiry and deeper learning.”
Megan Collett, Ed.D., executive director of instructional
and innovative leadership, stated, “Curricular revisions occur
yearly, and this year we are thrilled to dig into the Habits of
Mind with fervor at every grade level.”
Other exciting revisions include building and piloting a
first-grade Mobile Fab Lab experience and bolstering the
engineering focus. The district’s STEAM curriculum has been
showcased at Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools
and in regional news outlets.