Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Mrs. Aguirre
Welcome
to
the Classroom of
Laurie aguirre
Profile:
Who is Laurie Aguirre?
As a teacher, I have extensive training in literacy, (including a Reading Endorsement) mathematics and science and have recently earned my Masters Degree in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction. I have been teaching for over twenty years and my passion for it continues to grow each year. My experience in many different schools in several different districts under a diverse range of administrations from Southern to Northern Oregon, qualifies me to state that the environmental emphasis and character development we promote at Forest Ridge/O.L.E. far exceeds the goals/programs of any school/district that I have so far encountered.
Outside of teaching I am mainly a “mom”! I live in West Salem and have two children, Gabe, attending U. of O. and AliRae at West Salem High School. We like to travel, snowboard, bike, golf, camp, wakeboard and ride horseback. I am kept very busy supporting all of my childrens’ pursuits, so you can guess that between their activities and my own involvement in several environmental organizations and volunteer activities, I am often “previously engaged” with commitments after school.
Therefore, the best time to meet with me is before school, I usually arrive between 6:30 and 6:45a.m. so you may schedule an appointment as early as 7:00 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. if this is convenient. However, I am always happy to schedule a meeting at other times if I am given enough notice.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Of
Laurie Aguirre
My mission is to provide a welcoming classroom with a positive, proactive atmosphere that celebrates the whole child. My aim is to celebrate intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. I will establish a positive relationship with each child and foster the “disposition” to learn. I will teach my students to think critically, feel deeply, and act wisely in terms of their decisions about and actions in relationship to animals, the environment and the human community. I will teach the power of virtues, character and attitude so that my students will understand that there are some things they can control and some things they cannot, but that they always have choices in their responses to situations and circumstances. I will work diligently in a celebration of spirit and performance to help my students make gains in each of the areas they need in order to be successful global citizens. Each child will experience the joy of learning and service as they are guided to become future leaders of the 21st century.
My Educational Philosophy
Children are naturally curious about the world. I use this interest to engage minds and foster the natural motivation to learn. I teach children to read and write mainly through science concepts. Youngsters learn to read in order to access information about the subject in which they are interested. Children learn to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of their pursuit of knowledge. They learn to write in order to record and communicate what they are learning. Students learn to speak in order to share information and educate others. They need authentic purpose and meaningful outcomes in their pursuit of skills and knowledge. Nature and our environment provide rich content and opportunity for genuine results from learning. I teach the mind as well as the heart. Facilitating academic growth is my second goal; I feel it is ultimately important to both “To KNOW and To DO”. Students emerge from my classroom believing they can and do make a difference in our world.
KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT CHARACTER IS OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE.
This is why you will find our classroom a very busy, engaging place.
Many people are fooled by the appearance of an orderly classroom where all children are seated quietly with books open and filling out worksheets. And although we do have “Words on Paper” time and calmer periods throughout the day, we mainly have hands on learning activities with lots of interaction, that are based on research that supports this as developmentally appropriate and the best practice for young children’s learning. Students have many opportunities to pursue their interests in learning centers and in flexible groupings.
Feel free to join us; listen and watch carefully to what is transpiring.
It is a magic place; we are making tomorrow.
to
the Classroom of
Laurie aguirre
Profile:
Who is Laurie Aguirre?
As a teacher, I have extensive training in literacy, (including a Reading Endorsement) mathematics and science and have recently earned my Masters Degree in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction. I have been teaching for over twenty years and my passion for it continues to grow each year. My experience in many different schools in several different districts under a diverse range of administrations from Southern to Northern Oregon, qualifies me to state that the environmental emphasis and character development we promote at Forest Ridge/O.L.E. far exceeds the goals/programs of any school/district that I have so far encountered.
Outside of teaching I am mainly a “mom”! I live in West Salem and have two children, Gabe, attending U. of O. and AliRae at West Salem High School. We like to travel, snowboard, bike, golf, camp, wakeboard and ride horseback. I am kept very busy supporting all of my childrens’ pursuits, so you can guess that between their activities and my own involvement in several environmental organizations and volunteer activities, I am often “previously engaged” with commitments after school.
Therefore, the best time to meet with me is before school, I usually arrive between 6:30 and 6:45a.m. so you may schedule an appointment as early as 7:00 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. if this is convenient. However, I am always happy to schedule a meeting at other times if I am given enough notice.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Of
Laurie Aguirre
My mission is to provide a welcoming classroom with a positive, proactive atmosphere that celebrates the whole child. My aim is to celebrate intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. I will establish a positive relationship with each child and foster the “disposition” to learn. I will teach my students to think critically, feel deeply, and act wisely in terms of their decisions about and actions in relationship to animals, the environment and the human community. I will teach the power of virtues, character and attitude so that my students will understand that there are some things they can control and some things they cannot, but that they always have choices in their responses to situations and circumstances. I will work diligently in a celebration of spirit and performance to help my students make gains in each of the areas they need in order to be successful global citizens. Each child will experience the joy of learning and service as they are guided to become future leaders of the 21st century.
My Educational Philosophy
Children are naturally curious about the world. I use this interest to engage minds and foster the natural motivation to learn. I teach children to read and write mainly through science concepts. Youngsters learn to read in order to access information about the subject in which they are interested. Children learn to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of their pursuit of knowledge. They learn to write in order to record and communicate what they are learning. Students learn to speak in order to share information and educate others. They need authentic purpose and meaningful outcomes in their pursuit of skills and knowledge. Nature and our environment provide rich content and opportunity for genuine results from learning. I teach the mind as well as the heart. Facilitating academic growth is my second goal; I feel it is ultimately important to both “To KNOW and To DO”. Students emerge from my classroom believing they can and do make a difference in our world.
KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT CHARACTER IS OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE.
This is why you will find our classroom a very busy, engaging place.
Many people are fooled by the appearance of an orderly classroom where all children are seated quietly with books open and filling out worksheets. And although we do have “Words on Paper” time and calmer periods throughout the day, we mainly have hands on learning activities with lots of interaction, that are based on research that supports this as developmentally appropriate and the best practice for young children’s learning. Students have many opportunities to pursue their interests in learning centers and in flexible groupings.
Feel free to join us; listen and watch carefully to what is transpiring.
It is a magic place; we are making tomorrow.
Volunteering
All VOLUNTEERS GREATLY APPRECIATED !!
While you are welcome in the classroom at any time (school policy is to inform the office prior to visit), the students benefit most from regularly scheduled, consistent volunteer support. I have a variety of areas for which to provide assistance:
Reading practice (both individual and small group)
Writing - assistance during “words on paper” time + publishing
Spelling – help with individual student management of recording
Mathematics – skills support and Accelerated Math
Slide Show Presentation practice
Naturescape activities and bird feeding with students
Project Work – small group support
While you are welcome in the classroom at any time (school policy is to inform the office prior to visit), the students benefit most from regularly scheduled, consistent volunteer support. I have a variety of areas for which to provide assistance:
Reading practice (both individual and small group)
Writing - assistance during “words on paper” time + publishing
Spelling – help with individual student management of recording
Mathematics – skills support and Accelerated Math
Slide Show Presentation practice
Naturescape activities and bird feeding with students
Project Work – small group support
Homework
HOMEWORK
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE at least 20 minutes of reading daily. Please consider taking the training that Chele Condello will offer this fall in order to know how best to support your child’s growth in reading. She has a Masters Degree in Reading and is a certified Reading Recovery teacher.
I will also make available the 2nd GRADE 170 CORE SPELLING WORDS that your child will be expected to master by the end of the year. These reflect 2nd grade reading and writing in standard usage. You may use this list for reference as your child is reading or writing at home. While we will proceed through this list in a systematic fashion, each child’s own ability to spell them correctly in the context of his or her writing will vary greatly.
Your child will be expected to master the addition and subtraction facts of 18 by the year’s end. I will be happy to provide a master of these from which you may make copies for practice at home. I also have information about “strategies” to use when working with these combinations instead of forced memorization. Other 2nd grade math skills include naming and stating the value of coins – penny, nickle, dime, quarter and half dollar. He or she will also need to be able to add coins together in combinations under $1.00. Analog time telling – by the hour, ½ hour and five minute intervals is also an expectation, as is naming days of the week and months of the year. I will make available a continuum of the many other concepts and skills in Algebraic Relationships, Geometry, Estimations & Calculations, Measurement, Statistics & Probability, Math Problem Solving upon request.
(I will not be monitoring completion of the above as homework, although I recommend attention to it regularly.)
HOMEWORK PROJECTS that will be scored for the Trimester Progress Report:
“ME BAG” preparation and practice for speech (1st Trimester)
“Geometry packet – shapes and solids” (2nd Trimester)
“Kids Care Kit” speech and slide show practice (2nd Trimester)
“Environment Experiment” (2nd Trimester)
“Measurement packet – volume, time, weight, length, temperature”
(3rd Trimester)
“Become a Hogbuster” survey (3rd Trimester)
“How To . . .” speech (3rd Trimester)
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE at least 20 minutes of reading daily. Please consider taking the training that Chele Condello will offer this fall in order to know how best to support your child’s growth in reading. She has a Masters Degree in Reading and is a certified Reading Recovery teacher.
I will also make available the 2nd GRADE 170 CORE SPELLING WORDS that your child will be expected to master by the end of the year. These reflect 2nd grade reading and writing in standard usage. You may use this list for reference as your child is reading or writing at home. While we will proceed through this list in a systematic fashion, each child’s own ability to spell them correctly in the context of his or her writing will vary greatly.
Your child will be expected to master the addition and subtraction facts of 18 by the year’s end. I will be happy to provide a master of these from which you may make copies for practice at home. I also have information about “strategies” to use when working with these combinations instead of forced memorization. Other 2nd grade math skills include naming and stating the value of coins – penny, nickle, dime, quarter and half dollar. He or she will also need to be able to add coins together in combinations under $1.00. Analog time telling – by the hour, ½ hour and five minute intervals is also an expectation, as is naming days of the week and months of the year. I will make available a continuum of the many other concepts and skills in Algebraic Relationships, Geometry, Estimations & Calculations, Measurement, Statistics & Probability, Math Problem Solving upon request.
(I will not be monitoring completion of the above as homework, although I recommend attention to it regularly.)
HOMEWORK PROJECTS that will be scored for the Trimester Progress Report:
“ME BAG” preparation and practice for speech (1st Trimester)
“Geometry packet – shapes and solids” (2nd Trimester)
“Kids Care Kit” speech and slide show practice (2nd Trimester)
“Environment Experiment” (2nd Trimester)
“Measurement packet – volume, time, weight, length, temperature”
(3rd Trimester)
“Become a Hogbuster” survey (3rd Trimester)
“How To . . .” speech (3rd Trimester)
Welcome
Welcome 2008-09 families to the Charter Classroom of Laurie Aguirre
I am thankful for parents that have carefully considered options for their children that are within the public school system. I look forward to serving your family in terms of providing the highest quality of education for your child in my classroom this year. As the charter application describes, your 2nd grader will be constructing knowledge and basic skills in conjunction with real-world meaningful learning in environmental topics, technology and civics.
I have been teaching for 25 years and have kept abreast of solid research-based practice and have been highly trained throughout my career. I have served as a Reading Specialist and Math Specialist for Southern Oregon school districts, have recently completed my masters in Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. I am two classes away from an endorsement in Early Childhood Education K – 3. Teaching is my passion. I have had many other opportunities to do many other things, but nurturing young minds, our future leaders, remains the most fulfilling way to spend my time and energy.
This fall 2008 will be somewhat of a deviation for me. Although research resoundingly supports meaningful outcome project-based learning, and students have shown great success with this approach; I have chosen to back-up into a more traditional based style for the fall of 2008 in order to accommodate district curriculum changes. That means your child will be receiving instruction in a subject based style instead of a holistic manner. I will begin to branch off students showing intelligence, independence, and initiative into 2009 project-based instruction as readiness is shown.
September
Procedures/Rules –This takes strong introduction and repeated practice.
Roots & Shoots Pledge – Naturescape experiences
Writing exercises
Math manipulatives exploration – patterns
Number Corner skills – Counting, 20 – 1
Skip counting 10’s, 5’s, 2’s, 3’s
Time – analog by hour, minutes
Coin recognition/value –addition
Social Studies/Civics – Globe/Maps – Continents – Diversity
-------------------ASSESSMENT in READNG, WRITING & MATH SKILLS ---------
I will assess each child individually in order to determine current knowledge/skills and to formulate a plan for scaffolding learning to the next level. (Please note that individual assessment requires 20 – 30 minutes per student, so full-fledged content-subject learning will begin by the end of September.
OCTOBER
* Handwriting
* Word work/Rebecca Sitton Spelling - Highest Frequency Words in reading and
writing
* Writing Exercises – language manipulation – imagery – vocabulary – sentence
construction
* Guided Reading Groups & Literacy Centers
Meaning STRATEGIES
Blends/Digraphs & Word Families
* Celebrate
* Math – Algebraic relationships - growing patterns
Number Corner – coin values/ exchange
- continue analog time concepts – 5 minute intervals
- Basic Fact strategies – doubles & neighbors
Guided math problem solving – Q – F – P/S
* Social Studies/Civics – Continents/Oceans/ physical maps
* Science – Earth/Space – Solar System
- Environment - 8 R’s
2ND GRADE TRADES BEGIN:
Environment
Art
Science/Tech
* Health - Nutrition/Safety
* KINGORE OBSERVATION INVENTORY ACTIVITIES
for TAG referrals/thinking skills
* Art – Sketching/perspective
Vocabulary
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
“Me Bag”
NOVEMBER
* Handwriting
* Spelling
* Guided Writing – Narrative – Planning
Celebrate
* Guided Reading – Locating Information/Informational Text
* Math – Algebra – finding unknowns
- balanced equations
- < > =
Basic Fact addition strategies to 18
* Social Studies/Civics – Coming to America history/timelines
* Life Science – Birds – Audubon “Birds in Hand” class + Nestbox Building class
Concepts covered:
Adaptation
Habitat
Ecosystem
* “Me Bag” speeches
2nd Grade Trade –
Birds/Salmon Life Cycle
Geology/ Earth’s Layers
Salmon Art
DECEMBER
* Handwriting
* Spelling
* Guided Writing – Narrative –
Celebrate
* Guided Reading – Narrative – Character /Setting/Events Re-telling
* Math – Intro Geometry - shape attributes - symmetry
Basic Facts – subtraction strategies to 18
* Social Studies/Civics – Rights and Responsibilities
- World Culture – Caring for others
* Art – Shapes - Symmetry
I am thankful for parents that have carefully considered options for their children that are within the public school system. I look forward to serving your family in terms of providing the highest quality of education for your child in my classroom this year. As the charter application describes, your 2nd grader will be constructing knowledge and basic skills in conjunction with real-world meaningful learning in environmental topics, technology and civics.
I have been teaching for 25 years and have kept abreast of solid research-based practice and have been highly trained throughout my career. I have served as a Reading Specialist and Math Specialist for Southern Oregon school districts, have recently completed my masters in Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. I am two classes away from an endorsement in Early Childhood Education K – 3. Teaching is my passion. I have had many other opportunities to do many other things, but nurturing young minds, our future leaders, remains the most fulfilling way to spend my time and energy.
This fall 2008 will be somewhat of a deviation for me. Although research resoundingly supports meaningful outcome project-based learning, and students have shown great success with this approach; I have chosen to back-up into a more traditional based style for the fall of 2008 in order to accommodate district curriculum changes. That means your child will be receiving instruction in a subject based style instead of a holistic manner. I will begin to branch off students showing intelligence, independence, and initiative into 2009 project-based instruction as readiness is shown.
September
Procedures/Rules –This takes strong introduction and repeated practice.
Roots & Shoots Pledge – Naturescape experiences
Writing exercises
Math manipulatives exploration – patterns
Number Corner skills – Counting, 20 – 1
Skip counting 10’s, 5’s, 2’s, 3’s
Time – analog by hour, minutes
Coin recognition/value –addition
Social Studies/Civics – Globe/Maps – Continents – Diversity
-------------------ASSESSMENT in READNG, WRITING & MATH SKILLS ---------
I will assess each child individually in order to determine current knowledge/skills and to formulate a plan for scaffolding learning to the next level. (Please note that individual assessment requires 20 – 30 minutes per student, so full-fledged content-subject learning will begin by the end of September.
OCTOBER
* Handwriting
* Word work/Rebecca Sitton Spelling - Highest Frequency Words in reading and
writing
* Writing Exercises – language manipulation – imagery – vocabulary – sentence
construction
* Guided Reading Groups & Literacy Centers
Meaning STRATEGIES
Blends/Digraphs & Word Families
* Celebrate
* Math – Algebraic relationships - growing patterns
Number Corner – coin values/ exchange
- continue analog time concepts – 5 minute intervals
- Basic Fact strategies – doubles & neighbors
Guided math problem solving – Q – F – P/S
* Social Studies/Civics – Continents/Oceans/ physical maps
* Science – Earth/Space – Solar System
- Environment - 8 R’s
2ND GRADE TRADES BEGIN:
Environment
Art
Science/Tech
* Health - Nutrition/Safety
* KINGORE OBSERVATION INVENTORY ACTIVITIES
for TAG referrals/thinking skills
* Art – Sketching/perspective
Vocabulary
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
“Me Bag”
NOVEMBER
* Handwriting
* Spelling
* Guided Writing – Narrative – Planning
Celebrate
* Guided Reading – Locating Information/Informational Text
* Math – Algebra – finding unknowns
- balanced equations
- < > =
Basic Fact addition strategies to 18
* Social Studies/Civics – Coming to America history/timelines
* Life Science – Birds – Audubon “Birds in Hand” class + Nestbox Building class
Concepts covered:
Adaptation
Habitat
Ecosystem
* “Me Bag” speeches
2nd Grade Trade –
Birds/Salmon Life Cycle
Geology/ Earth’s Layers
Salmon Art
DECEMBER
* Handwriting
* Spelling
* Guided Writing – Narrative –
Celebrate
* Guided Reading – Narrative – Character /Setting/Events Re-telling
* Math – Intro Geometry - shape attributes - symmetry
Basic Facts – subtraction strategies to 18
* Social Studies/Civics – Rights and Responsibilities
- World Culture – Caring for others
* Art – Shapes - Symmetry