February 2010

Justina Road Elementary

Connection
Haiti
Maxey’s Corner
This week our fourth grade students will be taking their Florida writes test.
We are cheering them on and are confident they will do an excellent job!
FCAT testing is here with all 3-5th grade testing in the areas of Math, Reading,
and Science (5th grade only) in the month of April. Teachers, Students and
Staffs are busily preparing for the upcoming test. We are seeing growth in all
academic areas. Make sure you do your part to help your child succeed. Please
see the section dedicated to FCAT for helpful tips and information. A major earthquake struck
southern Haiti on Tuesday
February is Black History Month. Justina is excited to discuss the vast January 12, 2010. Justina
contributions of African American History! Your child will hear little known Elementary would like to help
African American History Facts on the daily announcements. So far, we have the relief effort. Justina will
discussed Matthew Henson, Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, and Benjamin begin our “Make a Change in
Haiti Campaign.” Please send
Banneker. Our PTA meeting will center around Black History as we have a local in with your child any extra
author, Rick Strickland, who will discuss his book The Marks Le! Behind. Please change that you have to make
make sure you come out, dinner is provided along with prizes and give-aways. our drive successful. Any and
Finally, we will host a Black History Writing contest. Please encourage your all contributions will be greatly
child to participate! appreciated!

Upcoming Events
Feb 10 Florida Writes 4th grade only

Justina Thank Yous Feb. 12 Picture day

Feb 15 President’s Day NO

Contact Us
Justina Road Elementary
3101 Justina Road
Jacksonville, FL 32277
904.745.4909
www.duvalschools.org/justina
• Books-a-go-go & Mary Pope Osborne for
the donation of the Magic Tree house book SCHOOL
collection to each 2nd grade classroom.
Feb 18 PTA
• To our involved and supportive parents.
Thank you for coming to support our Pre- Feb 23 Student of the Month
K workshop, PBS ready to learn workshop
and recent school fundraising event at Mar 5 Justina Annual Spirit Week
Chuck E. Cheese. Without you none of Cookout - Parents, contact the
this would be possible. Give your selves a front office for tickets
pat on the back!
Justina Road Elementary Connection
FCAT Frequently Asked Questions
• What is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)?
• The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a standard-referenced assessment. The results provide a
snapshot of where students stand, not in relation to each other, but in relation to their ability to reach educational
standards outlined in the Sunshine State Standards.
• Who takes the FCAT?
• All Florida public school students in Grades 3 through 11 are required to take the FCAT. Only a few students are
exempt.
• When is the FCAT given?
• In February, students take the FCAT Writing test. In March, students take the FCAT Reading, FCAT Mathematics,
and FCAT Science tests.

February 10th

Grade 4 FCAT Writing

March 10th

Grade 3 SSS Reading - Session 1 60 minutes

Grade 4 SSS Reading - Session 1 80 minutes

Grade 5 SSS Mathematics – Session 1 80 minutes

March 11th

Grade 3 SSS Reading - Session 2 60 minutes

Grade 4 SSS Reading - Session 2 80 minutes

Grade 5 SSS Mathematics – Session 2 80 minutes

March 12th

Grade 3 & 4 SSS Mathematics – Session 3 60 minutes

Grade 3 & 4 SSS Mathematics – Session 4 60 minutes

March 16th

Grade 5 SSS Science – Session 5 60 minutes

March 17th

Grade 5 SSS Science – Session 6 60 minutes

• How can I see my child's FCAT test results?

• The FCAT Parent Network will allow you to see your student's results as soon as they are available. For more
information, visit this link, FCAT PARENT NETWORK (www.fcatparentnetwork.com), or consult Mrs. Utz, the
guidance counselor at Justina.
Justina Road Elementary Connection

FCAT Frequently Asked Questions (con’t)

• Does Duval County have any special FCAT Preparation Software?
• Students have access to several robust programs to assist with FCAT preparation. The State of Florida has a
program called FCAT Explorer. All students in grades 2 and above a loaded in the program. Duval County
purchased Destination Success and Compass Odyssey. These are curriculum support programs with FCAT
preparation components that can be used at home. Destination Success if accessible to ALL Duval County Pre-K -
5th grade students.
• Destination Success - Pre-K to Fifth Grade - http://duval.riverdeep.net/lms
• Destination Success is an online Reading and Math software program that is free and available for all
Elementary Duval County Public School students. Teachers can assign activities or parents can explore and
assign activities.
• Login Information: Teacher Provided
• Support: 904.348.7740 for the DCPS Riverdeep Helpdesk
• FCAT Explorer - Second Grade to Fifth Grade - http://www.fcatexplorer.com
• Practice Makes Progress! That’s why the Florida Department of Education built FCAT Explorer - to
provide practice for helping your child make real progress on the skills needed in the classroom, on the
FCAT, and in life.
• Login Information: username: Last Name + First Initial (no spaces); password: 16 + first 4 letters of last
name + birth month and birth day (no spaces)
• Support: Kathy Hart 904.348.7126 
• Online Leveled Readers - Pre-K to Fifth Grade - http://www.eduplace.com/eservices
• All DCPS elementary students have access to online leveled readers. This website has over a thousand
books that are aligned to your child's reading level. All you have to do is log on.
• Login Information: Teacher Provided
• Support: Niki Micheau 904.348.7131

Odd Velvet
Book of
the Month Learner Profile & Attitude: Open-minded, Tolerance & Respect

On the first day of school, while the other children bring the teacher cinnamon tea and
potpourri, Velvet offers "an egg carton filled with seven rocks, her favorite red
shoelaces, and a half a sparrow's egg." Velvet sports long red braids, enormous round
glasses and candy-striped stockings, and when the children notice that she is not
wearing a new dress, they point and laugh: "Where did she come from?"
With her purple dress, huge glasses, and peppermint-stick tights, this girl is clearly too
odd to be picked as a play partner-or a friend. But slowly, her unique characteristics-her
rock collection, her ability to draw lovely pictures with only the eight basic crayons-
seem more interesting than strange….
Ask your child what happens to Odd Velvet!
Justina Road Elementary Connection
Academic Focus
Reading
K - Instruction continues in Theme 5 in the Comprehensive
Core Reading Program. Targeted Comprehension Strategies and
Skills in Theme 5: Monitor/Clarify, Categorize and Classify;
Summarize, Story Structure: Beginning, Middle and End; Question.
Begin instruction in Theme 6. Targeted Comprehension Strategies
and Skills in Theme 6: Predict/Infer, Fantasy/Realism; Summarize,
Story Structure: Plot; Evaluate.
1 - Instruction continues in Theme 5 in the Comprehensive Core
Reading Program. Targeted Comprehension Strategies and Skills in
Theme 5: Question, Compare and Contrast; Summarize, Making
Generalizations; Monitor/ Clarify, Cause and Effect. Begin
instruction in Theme 6. Targeted Comprehension Strategies and
Skills in Theme 6: Summarize, Story Structure; Question, Noting
Details; Predict/Infer, Making Predictions.
2 - Instruction continues in Theme 3. Targeted Comprehension
Strategies and Skills in Theme 3: Summarize, Making Judgments;
Question, Topic, Main Idea, Details; Predict & Infer, Problem
Solving; Evaluate, Making Inferences.
3 - Instruction continues in Theme 3. Targeted Comprehension
Strategies and Skills in Theme 3: Evaluate, Fantasy & Realism;
Questioning, Following Directions; Predict/Infer, Drawing
Conclusions; Monitor/Clarify, Story Structure.
4 - Instruction continues in Theme 4. Targeted Comprehension
Strategies and Skills in Theme 4: Predict/Infer, Predicting Outcomes,
Evaluate, Problem Solving; Monitor/Clarify, Understanding Poetry;
Summarize, Drawing Conclusions; Question, Story Structure.
5 - Begin instruction in Theme 4. Targeted Comprehension
Strategies and Skills in Theme 4: Predict/Infer, Problem Solving and
Decision Making; Monitor/Clarify, Noting Details; Phonics/
Decoding; Question, Compare and Contrast; Making Inferences;
Evaluate, Making Judgments; Understanding Plays, Visualizing,
Responding: Preparing for Literature Discussion.
K - Explorations of sound and a
performance task that explores
Science sorting objects that can be moved
by pushes and pulls.
1 - Explorations of fast and slow
changes to Earth’s surface and a performance task.
2 - Explorations of weather.
3 - Explorations of forms of energy.
4 - Explorations of electromagnetism.
5 - Explorations of the flow of energy through
ecosystems.
Mathematics
K - Develop and use language to describe
and compare lengths (longer, shorter, the same).
Measure by direct comparison. Develop
strategies for counting and keeping track of
quantities. Represent quantities with objects,
pictures, numerals, or words. Compare two
quantities to find which is greater. Recognize
numerals and connect them with quantities they
represent.
1 - Observe, describe, and compare 3-D
Develop vocabulary for describing 3-D shapes.
Construct 3-D shapes from 2-D faces. Observe,
describe, and compare faces of 3-D shapes. Put
3-D shapes together to make other shapes.
2 - Develop models of addition and
subtraction situations. Solve problems using
numerical reasoning. Record solution strategies.
Consider the relationship between addition and
subtraction. Understand horizontal and vertical
notation for addition and subtraction. Match
addition and subtraction notation to situations
they could represent. Become familiar with the
structure and patterns on the 100 chart. Add
multiples of 5 and 10.
3 - Develop familiarity with common
equivalent, especially relationships among
halves, thirds, and sixths. Understand that what
occurs between 0 and 1 also occurs between 1
and 2 and consecutive whole numbers.
Understand the relationship between fractions
and division. Relate notation for money to
decimal notation on the calculator.
4 - Use a map scale. Measure distances on a
map. Combine numbers in the hundreds and
thousands. Make graphs that show change over
time. Decide how to group data. Invent
representations of data. Interpret different
kinds of graphs. Develop a scale that includes all
the data.
5 - Use knowledge of probabilities to select
events most likely to occur. Learn to add
probabilities of simple events. Interpret fairness
of a game as equal probability of winning. Apply
knowledge of probability to design a fair game.
Distinguish between polygons and shapes that
are not polygons. Draw polygons. Locate points
on a coordinate grid. Explore attributes, sort,
classify, and develop vocabulary to describe
triangles and quadrilaterals.