TO:
Elementary Administrators
Coaches
Kindergarten Teachers
FROM:
Carolyn Gough - Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Jessica Stowe - Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning
Mandy Thurman - Elementary Literacy Consultant of Teaching and Learning
Dear Kindergarten Teachers,
It’s so exciting to begin another school year and our second year of Planet Kindergarten and Letter Launch! Last year, our kindergarten students left kindergarten and began first grade in a stronger place than they have historically. That is something worth celebrating!
It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Letter Launch Workshop. Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to those who shared their expertise by teaching breakout sessions. I’ve heard so much positive feedback about the presentations! I’ve posted all of the resources shared by our presenters on the Letter Launch Workshop page of the K–2 Goals website.
We have one more Letter Launch class on September 11 at 1:30-3:30. This is a repeat of last year’s Letter Launch class and is designed for new teachers, those who were unable to attend previously, or anyone who would like a refresher. Please register in Canvas.
Upcoming Dates & Kindergarten Goals
I’ll be sending newsletters throughout the year to help you stay up to date on data and give you a glimpse into some of the inspiring things happening across the district.
Kindergarten has two goals for the first quarter:
-
- Students will be able to identify 43 first sounds on Acadience progress monitoring
- Students will be able to name all letters and their corresponding sounds
- Students will be able to identify 43 first sounds on Acadience progress monitoring
Mastery Connect dates for letter and sound data:
- September 4 — First optional progress monitoring opportunity in Mastery Connect
- October 2 — Second optional progress monitoring opportunity in Mastery Connect
- November 6 — District benchmark for letters and sounds in Mastery Connect
These optional progress-monitoring dates are an opportunity not only to see your classroom data, but also to become familiar with Mastery Connect and the many features the platform has to offer. Larisa Nageli is over Mastery Connect and would be more than happy to talk through any questions or concerns you have.
Most importantly, remember that you are not in this alone. If at any time you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply aren’t sure what to do next, the literacy team is here to support you. When you share your questions or concerns with us, you help us better understand what teachers need and plan meaningful training and support.
Thank you for all that you do each day. Your work matters tremendously. There isn’t a day that goes by that our literacy department doesn’t recognize the dedication, creativity, and hard work you are putting into building strong readers across Jordan School District.
We are so excited to see what this year brings!
With gratitude,
Lori McCarty