School Begins at 8:40 (please arrive by 8:30) and Releases at 3:20 for Grades 1-6 A.M. Kindergarten is 8:20 - 11:40 a.m. (bus available) and P.M. Kindergarten is 12:20 - 3:20 p.m. (NO bus)

Upcoming  Events & Other Information

May 4, 2012 Early Out 1:30pm

May 4, 2012 PTA Extravaganza 5:30pm to 7:30pm

May 7-May 12, 2012 Teacher Appreciation Week

May 7, 2012 Kindergarten Field Trip to Thanksgiving Point

May 10, 2012 Grade 2 African Culture Activity 1pm to 3 pm

May 10, 2012 Spring Music Concert (Band, Choir, & Orchestra)6:30pm to 8pm

May 11, 2012 5K Fun Run 9:30am-11am

May 11, 2012 Early Out 1:30pm

May 14-May 18, 2012 NO KINDERGARTEN CLASSES(Testing)

May 14, 2012 Grade 3 Field Trip Bean Museum 9:30am to 12:45pm

May 17, 2012 Community Council Meeting 11:30am-1pm(CLICK HERE for a Community Council Schedule)

May 17, 2012 Early Out 1:30pm

May 18, 2012 Early Out 1:30pm

May 21, 2012 Student Talent Assemblies 9:30am & 1:30pm

May 21, 2012 Faculty & Students Softball 10:30 to 11:30am (weather permitting)

May 22, 2012 All Pro Dads in the Cafeteria 7:50-8:30am

May 22, 2012 Grade 4 Field Trip to Camp Floyd

May 22, 2012 Opera Concert at Edgemont 7pm-8pm

May 23, 2012 Kindergarten Program 9:30am to 10:30am

May 23, 2012 Dance Festival 10:30-11:30am at Timpview and again 7-8pm at Timpview

May 24, 2012 Field Day 9:30am to 11:30am

May 24, 2012 1/2 Day of School Early Out 1:30pm

May 25, 2012 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL Early Out 11:30am

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Hold on to those veggie coins

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Parents,

Our school is participating in a BYU research project about kids eating their veggies. Students at BYU are handing out silver veggie coins at lunch to each child who chooses and eats vegetables in the school lunch line (sorry--home lunches aren't part of the research project). For every two coins your child earns they will earn a ticket to the Extravaganza! The PTA will collect coins this Friday (4/20) and next Friday (4/27) during lunch and keep track of how many tickets your child earns. Those extra tickets your child earns will be at will call under their name on the evening of the Extravaganza. Friday May 4. Questions? Contact Marty Evans, PTA President at martyevans@gmail.com or edgemont.parents@gmail.com.

Language Immersion Programs are popular, and Student

Diligence Translates to High Academic Performance

     In 1981 there were fewer than 30 immersion programs in the country, today there are 448, according to a 2011 report released by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), a non-profit organization that advocates for foreign language instruction. States like Minnesota and Utah are leading the way with 52 and 58 schools offering language immersion options. American students are being educated in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese, German, Arabic, and Norwegian. 

     One of the most intriguing aspects of these programs, both for parents and educators, is that immersion students tend to outperform their English-only peers on standardized tests. Why this phenomena exists is not entirely clear, but several factors unique to these programs provide some insight. Learning a new language simulates brain development in ways that enhance mental flexibility and develop problem solving skills says Ellen Bialystok, a research psychologist at York University in Toronto Canada. Parents with children in immersion programs may be more invested in their kids education, which has strong positive impact on student achievement notes Fatima Baig an education researcher at the University of Iowa. Finally, the nature of language immersion teaches students how to stick to difficult tasks. This diligence translates to better performance on exams, because students will be more likely to persist on challenging problems, according to a report released by the department of education at the University of Pennsilvanyia.  To read more about these benefits, click here to read a Deseret News Article puplished Sun. Jan. 29, 2012.

Click HERE to view a video of French Dual Immersion Students in Utah (including one of

our own French classes, under the direction of Ms. Lacroix!).  Way to go Class!

Click HERE to view another video about Dual Immersion in Utah,

with excerpts of a PBS broadcast entitled "Speaking in Tongues"

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Interested in French Books for your child? 

Here are a couple of excellent websites where you can order some:

www.frenchmediaresources.com

and

http://scholastic.ca/editions

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Online French Book Rental Service

Les Petits Livres is an online book rental service specializing in children's books in French in the US. 

They offer French language books for children from 0 to 12 years of age.

For more information, go to: www.lespetitslivres.com

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Central Utah Science fAir

Edgemont Elementary would like to congratulate Jackson Geary  who won 1st Place in Computer Science and Engineering at the Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair at BYU. Jackson has been nominated to apply to the National Science Fair held in Washington DC this coming Fall. WAY TO GO JACKSON!!!!!

Champion Village Link

http://championvillage.com

Steve James Music

(To Promote Character Development)

Something Good Lyrics

Listen to song

Two Heads Are Better Than One Lyrics

Listen to song

Be A Builder Lyrics

Listen to song

I'll Be Nice

Listen to Song

Honesty Lyrics

Listen to song

Hot To Not Lyrics

Listen to song

Scoot Scat Groove

Listen to song

Provo School District Teacher of the Year

Sara Martin, a 3/4 grade combination teacher at Edgement Elementary, was recognized as the Provo School District Teacher of the Year ."I can say without reservation that she does wonderful work with her students and she is an exemplary elementary school teacher and leader," said Dennis Pratt, Principal of Edgemont Elementary. As teacher of the year, Martin attended a banquet held in Salt Lake City that honored all of the winners of the state.   While she was there, she had the opportunity to meet the State Board of Education and State Superintendent, Larry Shumway. Throughout the year, the

competition goes on until there is a national winner. Martin received a crystal trophy and a gift basket—small tokens for the great work she is doing.

Martin has served as Edgemont’s Numeracy Coordinator for the past four years and continues to serve as the 4th Grade Level Leader. "Every teacher I know deserves an award. I work with people every day that are the epitome of professionalism and dedication," Martin said. "You won’t find better teachers anywhere."

 

An Edgemont School Fundraiser,

A Neighborhood Produce Co-Op:

HARVEST MARKET

Edgemont is participating in a local partnership with Harvest Market (a produce co-op) to raise additional funds for our school.   This has the potential of bringing in up to $10,000 for our school every year.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go online to: www.HarvestMarket.org
2. Select your location (Edgemont) and join the co-op
3. Buy your weekly basket
4. Pick up your basket at our school Saturday mornings

How Much Do You Save?

• Produce has one of the highest mark-ups at a grocery store
• Baskets are for a week’s worth of produc
• e for a family of 4
• Typical savings are about 50% off retail

For more info go to: www.HarvestMarket.org

 

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PROTECTION OF ATHLETES WITH HEAD INJURIES

Utah recently passed a bill (HB 204) requiring that athletes under 18 be removed from a sporting event when it is suspected they have sustained a head injury or concussion. To return to play, athletes would be required to obtain medical clearance from a health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.

Utah Concussion Policy Concussion FACT Sheets Head Trauma Notification to Physician and Permission to return to play House Bill Parental Acknowledgement of Head Injury Policy Parent's Guide to Concussions Suggested Guilines for Concussion Management

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Current Lunch menu click HERE    (then scroll down to the current menu link on the left side of the webpage)

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Help Us Get the Word Out . . .

 

Edgemont's NEW After-School Kindergarten Enrichment Class

 

Our Class is Now Accepting Applications

Please call the main office for more information 801-221-9984

  

              January 21, 2012

Dear Kindergarten Parents,                                                                     

We want to take an opportunity mid- year to inform you that openings are now available for the 3rd and 4th terms in our After-School Kindergarten Enrichment program offered here at Edgemont.  Our former Superintendent, Randy Merrill, gave his support for a one-semester pilot of the After-School Kindergarten Enrichment Program (ASKE) offered here at Edgemont. If there continues to be sufficient interest for this after-school program it will be provided, children will attend their regular Kindergarten class for half of the day in the morning and the other half in the afternoon will be spent in the ASKE Class.  This is an optional program for those parents who request and sign up for it.

 Our program enhances what our students learn in Kindergarten as well as offers additional experiences to strengthen their academic skills.  Children are engaged in enrichment activities and extensions of the curriculum during the ASKE Class, providing more depth of learning.  This after-school program allows students to have extended time spent on art, drama, phonemic awareness and literacy through our SEEL program, science, technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM), music & creative movement, field trips, small group work, physical education, and a greater amount of one-on-one attention.

The ASKE Program hours follow the same afternoon schedule as grades 1 through 6, beginning with Lunch at 11:45 after the regular Kindergarten is released and continuing through 3:20 p.m. Monday-Thursday (3.5 hrs. per day) and 10:45 to 1:30 for our Early-Out Days on Fridays (2.75 hrs. per day; with lunch still at 11:45).  Children may bring a lunch from home or purchase a school lunch.  On days of NO SCHOOL there will be NO After-School Kindergarten Enrichment Class.  On other Early-Out Days, the schedule will be the same as on Fridays (10:45 to 1:30).

Enrollment will be on a “first-come, first-served” basis beginning Tuesday January 24th, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.  If at all possible, parents need to notify our office if they are interested by Tues. Jan. 31st, so planning can move forward.  Enrollment will be capped at 24 students, with a waiting list for those who still want to participate in the program. The cost for the ASKE Program is $199.00 per month due by the preceding 25th of each month (advanced payment is required).  A limited number of scholarships are available for those who qualify based on need (see the office for details).  Please make checks out to PSD After-School Kdg. Enrichment Program (or simply PSD ASKE).  Parents may pay for the whole year in advance or make monthly payments.

For childcare options after school is released and the After-School Kindergarten Enrichment Class concludes, contact Rhonda Hinckley (RhondaH@provo.edu or 801-221-9984) regarding Edgemont’s After-School Programs. 

If you have any additional questions or wish further information on registering your child for the ASKE Program, please call (801-221-9984).  We look forward to working together with you and your child this year.

Sincerely,

Dennis Pratt, Principal              Dianne Amesse, Kindergarten Teacher

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PTA Drop Off & Pick Up Safety Rules & Guidelines Ever wonder how to get your students dropped off or picked up safely in the Parking Lot? Click HERE to download the MAP & Instructions.  Let's Keep Our Children SAFE!

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Provo School District & Edgemont Elementary School Adopt

Utah's Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

The Utah State Office of Education worked closely with more than 40 other State Offices of Education to create the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), with the goal of ensuring each and every student is career and college ready.  Another goal is to provide students with the best possible education no matter where they live.  Adopting the CCSS will alter the curriculum in math significantly and English Language Arts education slightly in the state of Utah. The same options for acceleration enrichment will be available for honors and advanced placement students.

Please note that a consortium of states created these standards. The Common Core State Standards are not federally mandated curricula. "We truly believe that implementing the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts will improve our student's facility with language and writing," said Ray Morgan, Assistant Superintendent at Provo School District. "Implementation of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics will provide a more rigorous curriculum that will improve the competitive edge for our students in their college and professional careers."

You can find a plethora of detailed and specific information provided by the Utah State Office of Education regarding the CCSS at www.schools.utah.gov/core   and www.uen.org/commoncore/

  Below are documents explaining the changes and how that will affect your student:

Frequently Asked Questions about the Common Core State Standards PSD Common Core State Standards Math Pathways Comparison of Current Utah Core Standards and CCSS CCSS Brochure Utah State Office of Education CCSS PowerPoint

 

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Invitation to Apply for Free or Reduced Lunch Status

To Help the School Qualify for Much Needed Funding 

Dear Edgemont Families,

Our budgets are very tight and, like you, we are looking to do more with less.  We want to provide more learning opportunities for our students.  Some budgets and nearly all grants are based on numbers of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.  Whether or not you are interested in receiving lunch assistance, if you feel your family may qualify for it we would encourage you to please download and fill out the enclosed Free or Reduced Lunch Application (CLICK HERE FOR an ENGLISH application or CLICK HERE FOR a SPANISH application).   You will be instrumental in helping Edgemont acquire additional funding for academic interventions that many of our students need.  We applied for a grant last year that would have brought our school at least $60,000 per year over 5 years, but we were 9 students short of the number needed to qualify for Free

or Reduced Lunch for the school to qualify for the grant.  We will have another opportunity to apply for this grant again in April 2012, so we want to do our best to see if we will qualify this year.  We believe that in this economy we likely have more students that qualify than have applied in the past.  Your information is highly confidential and will always be kept private.  Please consider filling out the Free/Reduced Lunch application in the next few weeks and turning it into the main office as soon as possible (before the end of September 2011).

Thank you again for your help!

Sincerely,

Dennis Pratt, Principal

                       

 

Edgemont's Kindergarten Sees Unprecedented Scores With BYU Literacy Program (SEEL) Teachers Use New, Emotionally Engaging Methods to Educate Kindergarteners

Edgemont kindergarten classes see nearly 100 percent of their students at or above reading level with the help of an innovative program created at Brigham Young University.

A program titled Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy (SEEL) is designed to educate younger learners through the use of emotional experiences had within the classroom.  Dianne Amesse, a kindergarten teacher at Edgemont Elementary, said the results she’s seen from the program outperform any other she has tried. 

“I wouldn’t use anything else but SEEL,” she said. “I’ve never seen such great results.”

Jolie Hill, The Director of Project SEEL, has organized the research and development for this unique and successful program.  She said the amount of fun and emotional connections used in SEEL set it apart from the other educational programs available. 

“SEEL not only exposes children to letters and patterns at the sound a print levels, it provides them with multiple opportunities for playful engagement,” Hill said.  “Activities are designed to stimulate an emotional connection that gives students the ability to remember and apply skills, setting SEEL apart from the other literacy programs available.”  Please click HERE to watch a 25 min. video on SEEL.    For more information, CLICK HERE.

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Full-day Kindergarten can be 'life-changing,' improves scores, later success

By Sara Lenz Published in the Deseret News: Thursday, March 17, 2011 PROVO — Dianne Amesse calls her kindergarten class "life-changing." The five-year-olds may just be working on counting to 20 and putting spaces in between words in their writing journals, but she says offering full-day kindergarten to her students, 18 of whom are considered "at-risk," puts them on a path to success.

"The thing I've seen in years before is at-risk students being taken out of class year after year, even when they are in sixth grade," said Amesse, who teaches kindergarten at Edgemont Elementary. "But because of this rich experience, these kids will have the same opportunity as anyone else. Most are already ready for first grade."

Even Amesse is surprised by how much more her students are learning with the longer day — many are progressing twice as fast as traditional students in the half-day program.

While all-day kindergarten is common in other parts of the country, it's still a novel concept in much of Utah. This is the first year Edgemont has offered full-day kindergarten. Utah lawmakers, educators and even some parents have traditionally been resistant to the idea of all-day kindergarten, but that could be changing, as studies show that the quality of kindergarten has an impact on later scholastic success and even earning power. Research is also showing that kids in all-day kindergarten perform better than those in half-day programs. Several years ago, only a handful of schools in Utah even offered full-day kindergarten. But after these schools showed legislatures the strides they were making, lawmakers decided to set money aside for optional extended-day kindergarten, said Reed Spencer, state elementary and language arts specialist. And money was again set aside by the legislature this year that will likely go toward sustaining those programs, Spencer said.

Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, tried to run a bill this session that would only allow the academically at-risk to participate in the program, but the bill never made it out of committee. Lawmakers in Utah want to see direct correlation between money spent and outcomes, Anderson said, and at-risk students statistically are the ones who benefit the most from full-day kindergarten. Yet, teachers and districts say that having some "model" students in their classes has helped the lower-achieving students progress faster and has helped the model students grow more as well. But Anderson doubts the state will ever offer full-day kindergarten to every student because of the amount of children in Utah and the lack of funding. Utah already has the lowest per pupil spending in the country, he added. But as demographics in Utah change more rapidly, many educators believe it is becoming even more important to offer full-day kindergarten.

At Edgemont Elementary in Provo, the number of students on free-and-reduced-lunch has doubled in the last seven years, Amesse said. And the number of English language learners has also gone up. But this school is hardly an anomaly. Since 2000, the amount of minorities in Utah, a majority of whom are Latin American, has jumped by 10 percent and is expected to continue to rise over at least the next 40 years, according to the Census Bureau.

In Utah there has also traditionally been a large achievement gap between minority students and non-minority students, said Cori Groth, senior policy associate for the Utah Education Policy Center. And Groth said that gap has been steady over the years.

Yet, district after district has data showing that their achievement gaps are dramatically shrinking for those at-risk students who participate in full-day kindergarten.

In Canyons School District, where full-day kindergarten is offered at Title I schools, kindergartners saw a 40 percent gain in literacy skills last year, said Amber Roderick-Landward, who oversees curriculum for elementary schools in the district. She said the district is able to close the achievement gap easier and much quicker in the early years than later on. She hopes to offer more full-day kindergarten classes if funds are made available.

In Cache County, just an 30 extra minutes of intensive literacy instruction a day for the most at-risk kindergarten classes has made a big difference, said Sarah Krebs, literacy specialist for the district. The district choose to serve more students in a shorter time period with the optional extended-day kindergarten money but would love to be able to offer full-day kindergarten to their students as well. In Salt Lake City School District last year, students who averaged a 20 percent achievement gap to their peers before kindergarten in language arts only had a 2 percent gap after participating in full-day kindergarten.

"It's really the only time in a child's education we can double their educational instructional time," said Jo Ellen Shaeffer, assessment and evaluation director for the Salt Lake City School District. Many of Salt Lake City's Title 1 schools have full-day kindergarten classes for all students. And Shaeffer said only a handful of parents opt out while there are dozens of students on waiting lists.Statewide, only about 1 percent of parents notified that their child qualifies for all-day kindergarten opts out, Spencer said.

"We have never had a program that's had more evidence than this behind it," Spencer said. "It is making a difference."

And research backs up these kinds of trends.

Students in full-day kindergarten get more time for one-on-one attention with the teacher, and they also normally have more academic-focused learning time, said Peter Pizzolongo, senior director for professional development for The National Association for the Education of Young Children.

While some studies show some of these all-day kindergartners leveling off after third grade in academic achievement, he believes it's because students at risk need additional programs in higher grades to keep them on track and not because full-day kindergarten did offer them that at the time. Some studies have shown up to a $17 return for every $1 spent on early childhood education, he said. "When you look at 12th grade physics and then you look at children playing at a water table, the latter doesn't seem like anything you would want to spend your money on," Pizzolongo said. "But a quality kindergarten class is as important, if not more important, than a 12th grade physics class."

Also, the states making the biggest strides in student performance are dedicating funds to early childhood education, Spencer said. Florida, a state Utah has looked to as an example for academic success, has over 60 percent of its 4-year-olds in pre-K programs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). And nationwide, 60 percent of kindergartners are in a full-day program.

But groups like the Utah Eagle Forum are against full-day kindergarten, saying 5-year-olds need to spend more time with their parents.

Gayle Ruzicka, president of Utah Eagle Forum, said traditionally kindergarten was meant to be half-day to prepare students for a full day in first grade.

"It seems more and more they try to push little children out of the home sooner," said Ruzicka, who called full-day kindergarten an anti-family policy. "I believe a child does better if they can stay at home and play with their mother or father and prepare for all-day in first grade."

And traditionally legislatures have been wary of offering a full-day kindergarten program to students not at risk, feeling parents might just see it as a free day care service. But full-day kindergarten is anything but a day care, Spencer said. Students in Amesse's class on Wednesday worked on numbers and shapes when they first came into class. Then they talked about the days of the week and sang a song. They worked on writing and drawing for about 30 minutes, then read a book that taught them about words ending in "ug." Certain students who are struggling were pulled aside to work on sight-words, and Amesse had time to talk and work with each student individually if only for a few minutes and that was just by 10 a.m. Amesse said her days were very different in half-day classes. She now has time to work more in-depth on language art skills and teach the students social studies, science, art and music.

And parents have noticed the difference.

"We have definitely noticed a lot of improvement," said Paul Gehrig, as he was dropping off his 5-year-old Wednesday morning. "She's more social and her reading is amazing. I don't think she would have gotten as far as she has in half-day."

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Click HERE to View the Current PTA Newsletter   Click HERE for Past PTA Newsletters

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Pictures! Click here!

 

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THANK YOU for YOUR Help! You helped us to save the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program at our school!  Please Click HERE to View a Short Video about this Wonderful Program. We appreciate Your Time and Help!

Art Works For Kids

The Utah State Legislature Appropriated $4M for Utah Arts Program

We are pleased to announce that the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program has been granted $4 million in funding which will keep the program in 50 Utah schools through the end of the 2012 school year. Thank you to the parents, community members and educators who joined the cause in saving this program by contacting their legislators. You made a difference!  Please join us in thanking the legislators that believed in this program by clicking HERE. We’ve made it easy to send your legislators a quick note of appreciation using a simple online tool.

Thank you for helping us to keep arts instruction in our schools!

Visit artworksforkids.org for more information!

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Early-Out EVERY Friday at 1:30

for Teacher Collaboration

Dear Parents, As posted on our school calendar (click the "Calendar" link here), Edgemont and Provo School District will have Early-Out Days EVERY Friday through the 2011-2012 school year for teacher collaboration and professional development.  Therefore, ALL children in grades 1-6 will be released at 1:30 EVERY Friday, morning Kindergarten will be released at 10:45, and afternoon Kindergarten will begin at 11:25 and be released at 1:30.  Lunch will be served as usual on these days.  There

will also be After-School Enrichment Programs in which students can participate on these Fridays.  For more information on these activities, please click HERE for more information or contact our After-School Coordinator, Rhonda Hinckley (email her at RhondaH@provo.edu or call her after 1:00 p.m. at 801-221-9984).

Please plan accordingly for early-out Fridays, and thank you for all you do to support us!

Sincerely,

Dennis Pratt, Principal

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Provo School District’s

Elementary School Bell Schedule

So, Also Edgemont’s School Bell Schedule for 2011-12

to Accommodate Teacher Collaboration & Professional Development

Regular School Day 8:40 – 3:20     Regular Day for Grades 1-6  (bus available) 8:40 – 11:40    Regular Day for Morning Kindergarten  (bus available) 12:20 – 3:20    Regular Day for Afternoon Kindergarten  (NO bus available)

Early-Out School Day

8:40 – 1:30     Early-Out Day for Grades 1-6     (bus available)

8:40 – 10:45    Early-Out Day for Morning Kindergarten   (bus available)

11:25 – 1:30    Early-Out Day for Afternoon Kindergarten    (NO bus available

 

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School Calendar in .pdf Format, Online, and Downloadable to iCal!

Did you know Edgemont's updated Parent /Student Calendar is available below in a .pdf file in case you'd like it?   It is passed out to parents at the beginning of each year, and given to new parents when they register, but it's also on our website below for download.  As it indicates, you are encouraged to go to the “Calendar” link (above) for the most current calendar updates, as a few events may change as we get into the year. If you have an iCal compatible program on you computer, you can also subscribe to the Edgemont Parent Calendar by clicking on the "Subscribe to Calendar" link (at the very bottom of this webpage), so you automatically get event & calendar updates. 

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Edgemont’s Bus Schedules for 2011-2012

(updated 8/15/11)

CLICK HERE FOR Bus Route & Schedule for 2011-2012

To see if your student qualifies to ride a bus, and find the nearest bus stop, CLICK HERE.

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Special Ed. Department Looking for

Surrogate Parents for Students

The Provo School District and Edgemont Special Education Departments are looking for people who would be interested in becoming a surrogate parent for students that are wards of the state. This is a volunteer position that would require a half-day of training in Sp. Ed. law. A surrogate parent's duties would consist of being an advocate for the child and attending their IEP meeting. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Amy King at amyk@provo.edu.

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Utah Educators Sign Agreement with France

Utah became the 12th state in the country to sign a memorandum of the understanding with the French education system.  The partnership is a good way to build relationships and for France to promote the French language, which is spoken in more than 50 countries on five continents. 

The State of Utah benefits because our students learn the French language from a native from France.  Edgemont is benefitting from this agreement with the services of Mrs. Helene VanVooren Villareale, one of our 1st Grade French Teachers this year.

For more information please click here: http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_14265745

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French PowerSpeak Online Computer Program

Available for Edgemont Families

There have been a few questions regarding PowerSpeak and how parents and students can access the website.  As of now, each time that you want to use PowerSpeak, you must go through the Edgemont Elementary web page.  If you try to add PowerSpeak to your Favorites or try to bookmark the PowerSpeak page, it will not work.

Edgemont has purchased a demo version of Power Speak so that each family would have an opportunity to use Power Speak in their home to help the whole family learn French without having to purchase their own access.  The downside is that you can’t use the website to keep track of your student’s progress; the upside is that you don’t have to pay the $175 annual sign-up fee.  Once inside, you will notice that the site has different weeks to work on; you will just have to keep track of your child’s progress on your own (or your progress). 

Following are the steps that will get you onto the web site and how you will need to access the site each time. Go to www.edgemont.provo.edu  (this website) Scroll down until you see the section entitled, “New French PowerSpeak Online Program” (right here) Click on the first link---that will take you to PowerSpeak’s Elementary page. Once there, you can look at a tutorial that will give you help on how to use the page.  Also at the top left, you can choose how many weeks show on the page at a time.  It is possible to select one week at a time to avoid confusion for children. Enjoy!

Below are the links to the new PowerSpeak French courses that provide access to the families, including our French-English Dual Immersion students.  There are 3 different levels, but any student or family member can use any of the 3 levels.  Just click the link of the level you want to access and start with the Lesson 1 Video, "Getting Started":

Elementary: http://demo.pglms.com/courses/signon/9803885249d0c3b79baa49f1d46c5778656fe3d1-1254500403-utdm=frch1

Middle School: http://demo.pglms.com/courses/signon/dc705e360605d9ee6484b94996b946b6a5de79d7-1254161358-utdm=fryr1a

High School: http://demo.pglms.com/courses/signon/986f022460840ec37792b31f941b6610cf635980-1254150196-utdm=fryr1

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Gifted & Talented Services at Edgemont

and in Provo School District

Parents who want to know more than what is listed below should refer to the district website (www.provo.edu).  Under Departments they can click on "Learning Curriculum and Assessment" and then access links in the middle of that page that further explain district programs for gifted and advanced learners.  The distrit staff is in the process of updating these links and others but the information there should be helpful to interested parents.  Also, feel free to contact Ginny Smith, our G/T Coordinator, to learn more (GinnyS@provo.edu).

Provo Accelerated Learning Services (P.A.L.S.)

     The Learning, Curriculum, and Assessment Office staff has worked to develop the Provo Accelerated Learning Services to meet the needs of gifted students to be appropriately challenged in their area(s) of accelerated ability, and to develop intellectual and social relationships with other students of similar abilities and needs.  Instead of requiring each elementary school to develop its own plan and services for gifted students, in order to receive the $2500 provided by the Utah State Office of Education, the district will combine those funds, as most districts in the state do, to provide quality gifted services, with minimal impact on individual schools or classrooms. Whenever possible we will be utilizing the elementary teachers who have completed, or are in the process of completing, their gifted endorsement to provide delivery of Provo Accelerated Learning Services, developing their capacity as educators of the gifted.  This will be key to the district being able to expand and improve services in the future.

     Research shows that high ability learners typically begin the school year knowing 40-50% of what is expected of students their age by the end of the school year, so they often disengage from school, and fail to develop a strong academic work ethic from lack of challenge and effort. Gifted students need curriculum with depth and complexity, learning opportunities that require high level reasoning and problem-solving, including inquiry-based learning, research, and the opportunity to work as often as possible as practitioners in a field of study. With these facts in mind, the district’s Learning, Curriculum, and Assessment Office has made plans for the following gifted services beginning in the 2009-2010 school year.

Writer’s Symposium, grades 4-6

The Writer’s Symposium Series will provide high ability student writers in grades 4-8 with an opportunity to learn, work, produce, and relate as a community of active writers. Students will be bussed from Provo District’s elementary and middle schools to four full day symposium events held throughout the school year, in September and November 2009, and in February and May 2010.  Students will be invited to attend based on results from the Writer’s Symposium Writing Assessment, which will be offered to all interested students in grades 4-6 at neighborhood schools.      Each symposium event will include a discussion of the assigned reading, writing instruction in whole group and break-out sessions, opportunities for brainstorming and writing exercises, the giving and receiving of feedback, and peer interaction with students of similar ability and interest.  Symposium instructors will include local authors, district literacy specialists, gifted education specialists, and possibly BYU and UVU faculty guests.  These professionals will instruct, mentor and give feedback to students at events, and through their follow-up assignments.  Students will

choose a favorite piece to be published in an end-of-the-year anthology, printed by the district and provided to participating students. 

     Goals for the Writer’s Symposium include:

1. To provide an appropriate level of writing instruction for high ability students that increases their ability and motivation to write effectively,
2. To create mentor and peer relationships that provide feedback and affirmation to student writers, and foster a writing community in the district,
3. To collaborate with our community’s writing talent to foster the level of thinking and communication that will be key to our students’ and society’s future in a changing world.

Science Inquiry Groups, grades 3-6

     Science inquiry groups will provide an opportunity for students in grades 3-6 from across the district with high ability in science to meet together for a full day once a month in grade level groups to engage in intense learning experiences with other students of like ability and interest. Services will be provided in three “neighborhood” clusters of 4-5 schools.  All grade level groups in the same neighborhood cluster will meet on the same day at the same location to reduce busing costs and minimize interruptions at the neighborhood schools.  Using grade level state core science objectives/topics as the base, students will engage in learning experiences with instruction from gifted specialists from their neighborhood cluster in hands-on and inquiry-based exploration, guided by curriculum developed by the Center for Gifted Education and Project Wild.  Exemplary scores on the science section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) will qualify students for these services.

The goals of this program include: Students will engage in appropriately challenging and rigorous learning that deepens their understanding and application of science principles so they can demonstrate at least a year’s worth of academic progress, as demonstrated by pre- and post-testing. Students will have opportunities to engage in discussion and inquiry with students of similar ability in order to respectfully and clearly share ideas, develop collaboration abilities, and develop social and intellectual relationships with students from different areas of the district and from different backgrounds. Group work will require good communication and collaboration skills.

3.  Students will develop academic relationships and their interest in science careers, future university attendance, and the motivation to pursue the rigorous course of study in secondary school that will facilitate the college bound path. Although all participating students will benefit from this, a special focus will be on encouraging girls and Hispanic students, as research shows that these sub groups tend to move away from science as they enter middle school if they do not find excitement and personal connection in these studies.

4.  Students will engage in independent research and learning in their regular classroom (and hopefully out of school as well) because of the excitement generated in their science inquiry group experiences, which will improve their engagement in and attitude regarding school and learning. 

Math Olympiad groups, grades 3-6

     Math problem solving groups (grades 3-4, and 5-6) will meet for an hour a week at each elementary and middle school to explore math topics and problem-solving strategies in depth, develop high level mathematical thinking and communication, and engage in respectful intellectual collaboration with academic peers.  Utilizing problem of the week and monthly contests which are available through Math Olympiad students will have opportunities to apply their problem-solving skills to non-routine, open-ended problems, which can be submitted, scored and discussed. Elementary school groups should meet during school hours, while middle school groups will meet after school. Exemplary scores on the mathematics section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) will qualify students for these services.

The goals of this program include: Students will engage in appropriately challenging and rigorous learning that deepens their understanding of math principles their application to real life problems. Students will have opportunities to engage in discussion and inquiry with students of similar ability in order to respectfully and clearly share ideas, develop collaboration abilities, and develop social and intellectual relationships. Students may have the opportunity to develop academic relationships and their interest in math careers, future university attendance, and the motivation to pursue the rigorous course of study in secondary school that will facilitate the college bound path.

Gifted & Talented Services Provided ONLY at Edgemont Elementary

     Edgemont Elementary has enhanced its gifted and talented program to more fully meet the needs of each student.  This program is above and beyond what any other school in our area offers, is available for all students that qualify, K-6, and is a proven way to further develop critical thinking skills.  We have put even more effort toward significantly improving our services to Gifted & Advanced Learners, making Edgemont a district and county leader in this important area.  Ginny Smith, our Gifted & Talented Coordinator, who is a certified teacher with a Master's Degree in Gifted & Talented Education, works half time at our school on our Gifted Services.  She is able to more fully oversee, coordinate, teach, and lead our expanded class offerings for Accelerated Students in grades K-6.

      The gifted and talented program at Edgemont applies appropriate rigor and challenge to every student, allowing certified teachers to accelerate, enrich, and deepen understanding with practical application on an individual basis.
      Click  HERE for MORE on Edgemont's Gifted & Talented Program Information

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PSD Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS)

Dear Parents of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students,
Identification for the Center for Accelerated Studies, the district fulltime gifted program, is now in progress. This Center serves about 80 gifted students who have demonstrated high proficiency in mathematics, science, and language arts.

ALL THIRD GRADERS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PLACEMENT AT CAS:

Provo School District third grade students have taken the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT) at their neighborhood school. Scores from these tests, as well as parent and teacher input will be used to identify students who are most in need of the full-time gifted instruction available through this program. A parent who wishes to provide input concerning his/her 3rd grader may pick up a copy of the PSD Accelerated Learner Parent Input form at their neighborhood
school office, or download a copy from the district website (http://www.provo.edu/gt/pdf/gt-alpnform.pdf), and return it to their school office by the last Friday in February.

Identification for next years’ 5th and 6th grade CAS class

The current 4th and 5th grade CAS classes are presently full, which means that there may not be many openings for new students to join those classes each year. However, openings may occur for a variety of reasons. All current 4th grade students who attended Provo schools before have already taken the NNAT at their neighborhood school so additional testing will not be necessary.  Parents of 4th grade students who believe that their child would qualify for and benefit from alternative placement at the CAS are invited to fill out a parent input form in reference to their child and return it to their school office by February 26th. The form is available as described above.
Parents and guardians of current 5th grade students, or, 3-5th graders who are not currently attending Provo School District elementary schools, who believe that their child would qualify and benefit from alternative placement at the CAS are invited to have him/her participate in a NNAT testing session at the Provo School District Office (280 West 940 North). The test requires 40 minutes. In order to reserve your child a place in one of those testing sessions, you will need to contact the Learning Curriculum and Assessment office at 801-374-4868.
Updated information about district gifted services for Provo students, including CAS and the district website on the following link: http://www.provo.edu/dep/curriculum/.  Parents will be notified regarding their child’s qualification to participate in classes at the CAS.

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Schoolwork Guidelines for G/T Students

Participating in Provo Accelerated Learning Services (P.A.L.S.)

Students who are identified as needing advanced academic instruction will be given opportunities to participate in Provo Accelerated Learning Services (P.A.L.S.).  These programs will require students to spend time outside of the regular classroom.  The work completed by a student in a P.A.L.S. program should take the place of the work that students would have been required to complete in the regular classroom.  A P.A.L.S. student should not be expected to make up missed work with the following exceptions:

The student will be responsible for learning new material that was presented to the class during his or her absence.  This can be accomplished through teacher explanations, student explanations, or short study assignments given by the teacher.  The students should not be required to complete all written assignments connected with the new work that has been missed, but should be given an opportunity to demonstrate her or his understanding of the concepts involved through oral discussion or partial written assignments. The student will be responsible for completing long-term assignments such as research projects and written reports that may be due on the day a student is in the [P.A.L.S.] gifted program.  It will be the student’s responsibility to arrange for a time to present his or her work to the teacher, either the day before or the day after the assignment is due.

• The student will be required to make up all tests which are given in her or his absence unless excused by the classroom teacher.
• It is essential that students not be penalized for work they missed as a result of [P.A.L.S.] gifted program participation.  Report card grades should reflect the level of student progress during the time he or she is in the regular classroom.  An additional progress report from the [P.A.L.S.] gifted education teacher(s) will be sent home with quarterly report cards for all gifted students.

Adapted from The Survival Guide for Teachers of Gifted Kids by James R Delisle, Ph.D., and Barbara A. Lewis, (2003).  Used with permission of Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN: 800-735-7323; www.freespirit.com.  All rights reserved.

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School Trust Lands

Every year for the past few years every school in Utah has received a sum of money from the Utah School Land Trust
Fund. This past year we received over $20,000, which we have used to greatly enhance our program to meet the needs of Gifted & Talented students. This serves a very important need in our school, and we feel very privileged to have this additional money. We are very pleased to our state elected officials and others for their continued support of getting these Trust Funds to the schools, and we hope that each year these funds will continue to grow. So, the next time you see one of our state legislators or other elected officials, please let them know how much we appreciate this additional funding for our needs.

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Lunch-money Payments Online

Provo school district is pleased to announce that your child's lunch account can now be accessed online. This will give you much more control over payments and help you to manage the balances better. You can link to it from the home page of any elementary school by clicking on the "Child Nutrition" link in the Quick Links menu. You can begin by setting up your account HERE.

For the Current Lunch menu click HERE (then scroll down to the current menu link on the left side of the webpage)

 

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Our Mission Statement The mission of Edgemont Elementary School, an adventure in educational excellence, is to lead the way in building a stimulating learning environment, in partnership with student, family, school, and community, that prepares individuals to contribute responsibly to society and continue life-long learning.

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OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION & LINKS

After-School Program Classes & Information Air Quality Information & How We Address Poor Air Quality Appointments for Success Attendance  Policy and Procedure  @ Edgemont Elementary  and Pre-Approved Absence Form		Halloween Costume Guidelines & Parade Notice Kindergarten: Optional Extended-Day Kindergarten Guidelines from PSD Kindergarten: Unprecedented Achievement in Edgemont's Kindergarten with BYU Early Literacy Program Letter to Reduce Sweets & Restrict Homemade Foods at School & District Wellness Policy
	Emergency Evacuation Info & Procedures (letter) FLU info (H1N1 or "Swine Flu") General Information Brochure Gifted & Talented Program Information
Calendar Download: 2011-12 Parent/ Student Calendar (as of 8/18/11) Class Supply Lists: Click the "Classrooms" link above, then select your teacher's name. Community Council Meeting Schedule Community Council Notes District Safe School Policy  and  Spanish Safe School Policy		Parent PowerSchool Access Info (How to Access Student Grades & Attendance) Past PTA Newsletters Playground Rules & School Code of Conduct Snow Day "Late Start" Procedures Student Handbook (school information, rules, & procedures, etc.)

Thank you for visiting our Website!

If you experience a problem with one of the links on the site, please contact our main office (801-221-9984) or email our Lead Secretary Stephanie Livsey (StephanieL@provo.edu) to report it.  Thank you!

Student Resources...

Thank you for visiting our Website!

If you experience a problem with one of the links on the site, please contact our main office (801-221-9984) or email our Lead Secretary Stephanie Livsey (StephanieL@provo.edu) to report it.  Thank you!

Staff Resources...

Parent Resources

Home & School Connection (Articles & Ideas that can help parents & students at home)

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION & LINKS

After-School Program Classes & Information Air Quality Information & How We Address Poor Air Quality Appointments for Success Attendance  Policy and Procedure  @ Edgemont Elementary  and Pre-Approved Absence Form		Halloween Costume Guidelines & Parade Notice Kindergarten: Optional Extended-Day Kindergarten Guidelines from PSD Kindergarten: Unprecedented Achievement in Edgemont's Kindergarten with BYU Early Literacy Program Letter to Reduce Sweets & Restrict Homemade Foods at School & District Wellness Policy
	Emergency Evacuation Info & Procedures (letter) FLU info (H1N1 or "Swine Flu") General Information Brochure Gifted & Talented Program Information
Calendar Download: 2011-12 Parent/ Student Calendar (as of 8/18/11) Class Supply Lists: Click the "Classrooms" link above, then select your teacher's name. Community Council Meeting Schedule Community Council Notes District Safe School Policy  and  Spanish Safe School Policy		Parent PowerSchool Access Info (How to Access Student Grades & Attendance) Past PTA Newsletters Playground Rules & School Code of Conduct Snow Day "Late Start" Procedures Student Handbook (school information, rules, & procedures, etc.)

Thank you for visiting our Website!

If you experience a problem with one of the links on the site, please contact our main office (801-221-9984) or email

our Lead Secretary Stephanie Livsey (StephanieL@provo.edu) to report it.  Thank you!

“While we try to teach our children all about life,
our children teach us what life is all about."