Staffing for 2014-15: Next year at TBS, each grade level with have three teams comprised of four classroom teachers and one special education teacher. Grade six team configurations will be modified from this year’s model of one teacher for math/science and one teacher for English language arts/social studies (ELA/SS).

For 2014-15, each grade six team will have one teacher for math, one teacher for science, and two teachers for English language arts/social studies. Beginning next year, the grade six science curriculum will be aligned with the Connecticut State Standards (the Common Core State Standards adopted by the state). In order to insure we are able to meet the increased rigor, to include the lab requirements, we are dedicating one teacher on each team to science. This model will also give us flexibility to offer two levels of math in grade six again.

Due to the changes in opportunities for teaching assignments, I am asking all TBS teachers to complete a teacher preference form for next year’s teaching assignment. Teacher assignments for next year will be finalized in late spring.

Parent input for grade five to six transition: Parents of fifth graders who wish to share a profile of how their child learns best may wish to share that information with me via email or in a letter. Please limit the letter to speaking about your child’s learning. Refrain from requesting a specific teacher (as we have not finalized who is teaching what next year) or commenting about a teacher. As the correspondence should focus on your child, it may be shared with staff. All correspondence should be to me no later than Monday, April 14, 2014.