The document provides information about the Intermediate Class of 2012-2013 at Covert School. It summarizes the staff, classroom structure, curriculum including English, math, science, social studies, health, technology, behavior management, and communication. It describes a typical school day including morning meeting, exercise, reading/writing, math, recess/lunch, science/social studies, and dismissal. Communication between home and school is emphasized.

1. Welcome to the Intermediate
Class 2012-2013

2. Classroom Staff
Mrs. Barbato
lma n M rs. G
M rs . Bude ursky
Ms. Pa
Mrs. Torraca palia

3. Covert School Community
Students in the Intermediate Class enjoy a welcoming school community. There are
numerous opportunities for integrated experiences based on individual goals and schedules.
Students eat lunch and play at recess in an inclusive setting. Students in the fourth and fifth
grade chorus participate in the school winter and spring concerts. Everyone shines in the
school’s annual variety show. Our students enjoy field trips with both their integrated class and self
contained class. Fifth grade events are enjoyed by all fifth grade students and our end of the year
video yearbook is always a treat to our students preparing to move to the South Side Middle School.
Communication between the Intermediate Class and Middle School Class is ongoing. Many activities
afford the children with an easy transition when the time comes.

4. English Language Arts
To meet Common Core Standards in English Language Arts, the intermediate class utilizes a
balanced literacy program. Students will be immersed in a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction literature
to enhance their knowledge, vocabulary and understanding of concepts. Students will recognize that
individual letters have associated sounds, they will recognize and identify some sight words and read
familiar texts at the emergent level. Children will ask and answer questions in response to texts and
interpret information represented in simple charts and webs.
Writing instruction involves spelling, handwriting, composition and motivation to write.
Practice in writing for a variety of reasons includes charting data, writing letters, recording academic
activities and completing personal data information forms.
Students will learn to listen attentively to spoken language for different purposes. They will
listen respectfully when others speak without interrupting and attend for specified periods of time.
Students will learn to listen to group read alouds for information.
Students are exposed to a variety of poems, literature, fiction and non-fiction books,
Scholastic Books on Tape, songs, rhymes, word plays, assemblies, field trips, plays to provide opportunities
to listen in a variety of settings. Students work on their listening skills during interactive play with peers
and adults. Students also have an opportunity for refining listening skills when they are listening to peers
share projects and reports.
Students will increase their vocabulary and conventional grammar in their own speech. They
will speak for different purposes. They will learn to focus on audibly speaking with speed and expression
appropriate for the listener and setting. They will learn to take turns speaking and respond appropriately
to what others are saying. Children will report on their research as well as other projects. They will
navigate the school community with a number of speaking tasks including running errands.

5. Mathematics
The Common Core Curriculum State Standards in Mathematics
are met in the non-graded class through a variety of hands on activities. Our
program is designed to reach a number of ability levels. Through the variety
of manipulatives used and hands on activities students will better understand,
enjoy and appreciate mathematics. Students are taught to express their
mathematical thinking through words, pictures and numbers. Students are
taught to use calculators. Games are used and provide strategic mathematical
thinking and an opportunity to review concepts. Students will participate in
mathematical operations, algebraic thinking, numbers, measurement
and geometry.
Social Studies
The Core Curriculum Standards are incorporated to help students learn
about roles in a family and school community. The students explore self, family, and
school. They learn about families now and long ago as well as different kinds of
families in various societies. They begin to use a map and globe. Students will
compare different cultures to their own. Citizenship will be explored in relation to
rules and laws. Environment and physical settings will be a focus of study as well.

6. Health and Safety
Science
Students will experience the process
of scientific inquiry through hands-on
experiments and activities. Students will
The class will understand that
participate in activities such as: classifying,
many diseases can be prevented by
communicating, comparing, contrasting, creating
practicing good health habits. We will
models, gathering data, organizing data,
recognize that good nutrition, regular
generalizing, identifying variables, interpreting
exercise and rest promotes healthy minds
data, making decisions, manipulating materials,
and bodies. Students will identify emotions
measuring, observing and predicting. Students
and develop skills to deal with them. They
will learn about keeping their bodies safe and
will understand that as they mature, it is
healthy and compare how these issues overlap in
important to practice good hygiene.
a variety of science units. These skills will be
Understanding emergency information and
addressed based on the Common Core Learning
procedures is stressed. Children will follow
Standards for Mathematics, Science, and
classroom and school safety rules.
Technology.
1. Living things change and grow.
2. Living things have basic needs.
3. Living things reproduce.
4. Plants and animals are interdependent.

7. Behavior
Management
A positive approach to behavior management is incorporated into the
Intermediate Classroom. Expectations for behavior are clearly stated and listed
on a classroom poster. The behaviors reinforced by the classroom token economy
are stated positively,. Students have a reinforcement chart clearly visible in the
classroom. Children earn money for following the classroom rules and they are
required to pay fines for not following the posted rules. This token economy
reinforces the understanding of working with money. Children participate in
keeping track of their earnings throughout the day by making coin exchanges. At
the end of the week students use their earned money to participate in a classroom
center of their choosing. The centers include the “Communication Center” where
students can pay to send an e-mail, a letter or make a phone call. These activities
also reinforce academic writing goals, social emotional goals as well as speech goals.
In the “Class Store Center”, students use their money to purchase items such as
school supplies, games, toys and jewelry. Students make money exchanges for
items practicing the independent skill of being a consumer. At the “Café
Center”,students purchase snacks choosing among a variety of healthy items and
”sometimes foods” or “treats.” Students make decisions with their behavior during
the week, remembering that if they earn enough money they have more choices at
centers.
Some students require more immediate reinforcements so individual
interventions are used on an as need basis. Providing consistency for children
helps them understand what is and is not acceptable behavior in their home and
school environments.

9. Technology
Students in the Intermediate
class use the Smartboard daily as a part of
the class routine, which covers calendar
skills and the “Morning Meeting.” We watch
videos ranging from the life cycle changes of
a tadpole into a frog, to how life was for the
Native Americans helping the Pilgrims plant
crops. We record and compare data on the
Smartboard as well as research and report.
We refine skills using ipad2 applications that
provide fun ways to drill Individual Education
Plan goals. We may use computer programs
or websites individually or with a friend when
we finish our independent work. We use
teacher made adaptive keyboards as an
alternative to writing. We have a Smart
Table in STELLAR that we can use as well as
one that is shared between both Core
Classrooms.

10. A Typical Day
•Arrival : Care for personal items and supplies
•Morning Meeting: Calendar skills, Fundations Letter Stories, Smartboard
•Exercise Circle:
Students exercise crossing the midline of their bodies helping them to integrated both sides of
their brain functions. These activities provide sensory input. Research shows that these types
of exercises help prepare students to focus and get ready for academic work.
•Snack: Please mark as “snack” and provide a separate drink. Remember to focus on healthy
choices.
•Reading/Writing Work:
Students work on their individual writing goals incorporating some math and some reading that
they work on independently at their desks while other students are called to guided reading
groups.
•Math: Students work in large groups, small groups, with manipulatives and technology to
explore the curriculum
•Recess/Lunch: Inclusive environment
•Exercise Circle: Same as above
•Reading/Writing Work: Same as above
•Science/Social Studies: Another opportunity for technology use to explore the curriculum
•Balanced Reading/ELA: Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of
reading/writing instruction with teacher modeling
•Song Circle/Dismissal: Token economy is reviewed throughout the day and money is
managed at this time. Students earn the privilege of participating in song circle which is another
motivating social time. Students prepare their belongings for dismissal at the buses.

11. Communication
Communication is an ongoing
partnerships between home and
school. We have our communication
notebooks, marked “Communication”
for daily correspondence. Staff can
be contacted via telephone by calling
the office and leaving a message for
a return call (255-8916). We can
also be contacted by e-mail –
lbarbato@rvcschools.org. We have
two parent teacher conferences and
we also have morning team meetings
scheduled throughout the year. You
will receive your letter tonight for
your meeting. The Covert Website
will also have classroom information
and monthly newsletters.
Website