The ISD 518 Art Department believes in providing students opportunities to learn from mistakes, grow, and succeed. 

We believe that art gives the original opportunity for students to learn not only from success, but from failure as well. Art develops creative thinking skills that teach students that there is more than one way to solve problems, mistakes are acceptable, and learning is an active experience in which the process is more important than the product.

 Students will use art to communicate through self-expression, as well as connect with others in the community and the world. Through a sequential curriculum, students will use a variety of materials to create and compose artworks that are original and will be assessed according to the Minnesota Art Standards. Students will be engaged through art creation, technology, collaborative projects, learning new processes

(1)    Identification and commitment to curriculum based on essential outcomes.

(2)    Absolute commitment to fluid mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication of single/multiple digit numbers.  

(3)    Vertical meetings with teachers to reduce prolonged curriculum repetition.

(4)    Horizontal curriculum agreement for core (mainstream) group of students and articulation based upon essential outcomes and timelines.

(5)    Give students that are struggling expanded time, opportunity, and belief they will achieve.  

(6)    Expanded opportunity for high achieving math students possibly including multi age work, tutoring, and advanced problem solving.

(7)     Adopting common assessments that have comprehensive components/cumulative.

(8)     Applying all mastered skill work as soon as possible in the context of multi-step real world word problems.  

(9)     Absolute commitment to language acquisition within school day for our ESL population followed by expanded opportunity to learn subject material (after school, summer school . . )

(10)   No calculator use policy until student is exposed to multi digit divisors or decimal division.

(11)   Avoid all fraction computation instruction until basics are mastered (counterproductive if this is done)

(12)   Create a system of student achievement and accountability based on outcomes.

(13) Create a seamless and synergistic relationship between all stakeholders (teacher leaders, administration and school board) designed to promote math achievement for all students in district.

(14)   Dedicate the time and commitment necessary for teachers to create and implement programming to advance student achievement in mathematics.  

 

The mission of the District 518 English Learner Department is to assist non-English or limited English speaking students in developing English language skills at a level which will enable them to perform successfully in mainstream classes, graduate from high school, pursue further education, and function successfully in American culture.

Prairie Elementary students will be active learners engaged in relevant literacy practices to appreciate literature, foster creativity, construct knowledge, formulate opinions, value literacy, and utilize technology in order to understand and contribute to an increasingly diverse society.

 

Literacy Instruction should… 

 

●       Include a balance of differentiated instructional methods and a continuum of strategies in reading and writing while fostering a supportive, open, positive, collaborative and engaging environment.

 

●       Allow students to read at their instructional level every day. Time for self‐selected independent reading, shared reading, and read-alouds in a variety of instructional settings and genres are an important daily literacy activity.

 

●       Understand engagement in the reading task is critical in successfully learning to read and developing as an independent, curious, and lifelong reader and writer who comprehends and applies skills and strategies.

 

●        Provide explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, word analysis, vocabulary, recognition of high frequency words, and language conventions

 

●       Teach comprehension as thinking about, within, and beyond the text using a variety of strategies through scaffolded and tiered instruction.

 

●       Provide students opportunities to read and reread a variety of texts to improve fluency. Fluency instruction includes expression, accuracy and phrasing.

 

●       Utilize a variety of ongoing reading assessments to evaluate student progress and guide instructional decision making.