Dear Parents of Grade 5 Students –

I am pleased to be able to share some exciting news with you regarding our math program in Grade 5. After meeting with the Grade 5 teachers and considering the needs of our Grade 5 students, we have decided to establish flexible math groups. These groups will be leveled according to informal and formal  assessment data obtained on unit tests and through MAPS testing.

Students will be assigned to a specific math teacher during the math block which will be the same time of the school day for all Grade 5 students. Having groups of students with like abilities will ensure that differentiated instruction is taking place and that all students are being challenged according to their own skills and strengths.

The groups will be flexible in nature so that pre and post-assessment data can be used to move students to the class that is appropriate for them. This will likely result in a few classes having more students and at least one class having fewer students.

We also feel it will be a great experience for some students to work with a teacher other than their homeroom teacher during the school day and that this will help prepare all of our Grade 5 students for middle school.

Please note that this flexible grouping and switching of classes will only take place during math.

Our plan is to begin switching for math on September 22. Please let me know if you have any questions or feel free to contact your child’s teacher for additional information. We hope you are excited about this opportunity as we work together to meet the needs of all of our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Keppler

Principal – Coyote Ridge Elementary