September 12, 2024

Dear West Orange Families,

Welcome to an exciting new school year! We are thrilled to start this school year by launching our newly revised English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, designed to support your child's learning journey. This year, we are proud to introduce Into Reading and Structured Literacy, which align with our commitment to providing high-quality educational resources. These programs are grounded in the five pillars of reading identified by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additionally, our curriculum reflects the latest updates in our state’s 2023 Student Learning Standards, ensuring that our students receive the best possible education to meet current benchmarks for literacy success.

We recognize that a strong connection between home and school is key to student success and are committed to fostering that partnership. Our new instructional resources not only enhance learning in the classroom but also provide valuable opportunities for at-home engagement. These resources include digital tools and activities designed to help you support your child's literacy development outside of school. During our upcoming Back to School Night, your child's teacher will share more information about the digital platform and the various resources available to you. This will give you the tools to actively participate in your child's learning journey and reinforce the skills they develop in the classroom. You can access online resources, articles, and videos in the Family Room.

In addition to the HMH Into Reading resources, your student can easily access the i-Ready My Path platform to practice personalized literacy skills at home. Both platforms are conveniently available through the Clever Portal, making it a simple process for students to continue their learning beyond the classroom.

We are genuinely excited to partner with you in supporting your child's literacy growth and will provide more information on these resources during Back to School Night. We look forward to working together to help your child succeed this year!

Beatrice Hanratty

English Language Arts Supervisor, K-5

12 de septiembre de 2024

Estimadas Familias de West Orange,

¡Bienvenidos a un emocionante nuevo año escolar! Estamos encantados de comenzar este año escolar lanzando nuestro currículo revisado de Artes del Lenguaje en Inglés (ELA), diseñado para apoyar el viaje de aprendizaje de su hijo. Este año, nos enorgullece presentar Into Reading y Structured Literacy, que están alineados con nuestro compromiso de proporcionar recursos educativos de alta calidad. Estos programas se basan en los cinco pilares de la lectura identificados por el Panel Nacional de Lectura: conciencia fonémica, fonética, fluidez, vocabulario y comprensión. Además, nuestro currículo refleja las últimas actualizaciones en los Estándares de Aprendizaje Estudiantil 2023 de nuestro estado, asegurando que nuestros estudiantes reciban la mejor educación posible para cumplir con los criterios actuales de éxito en la alfabetización.

Reconocemos que una fuerte conexión entre el hogar y la escuela es clave para el éxito de los estudiantes y estamos comprometidos en fomentar esa asociación. Nuestros nuevos recursos de instrucción no solo mejoran el aprendizaje en el aula, sino que también brindan valiosas oportunidades para el compromiso en casa. Estos recursos incluyen herramientas digitales y actividades diseñadas para ayudarle a apoyar el desarrollo de la alfabetización de su hijo fuera de la escuela. Durante nuestra próxima Noche de Regreso a Clases, el maestro de su hijo compartirá más información sobre la plataforma digital y los diversos recursos disponibles para usted. Esto le proporcionará las herramientas para participar activamente en el viaje de aprendizaje de su hijo y reforzar las habilidades que desarrolla en el aula. Puede acceder a recursos en línea, artículos y videos en el Family Room.

Además de los recursos de HMH Into Reading, su estudiante puede acceder fácilmente a la plataforma i-Ready My Path para practicar habilidades de alfabetización personalizadas en casa. Ambas plataformas están convenientemente disponibles a través del Clever Portal, facilitando a los estudiantes continuar su aprendizaje más allá del aula.

Estamos verdaderamente emocionados de asociarnos con usted para apoyar el crecimiento en alfabetización de su hijo y proporcionaremos más información sobre estos recursos durante la Noche de Regreso a Clases. ¡Esperamos trabajar juntos para ayudar a su hijo a tener éxito este año!

Beatrice Hanratty

Supervisora de Artes del Lenguaje en Inglés, K-5

March 19, 2024

Exciting News for Our School Families: K-5 Into Reading Coming Soon!

Dear West Orange Family,

We are excited to share that our district will be introducing Into Reading as our new K-5 Core Comprehensive Reading program starting with the 2024-2025 school year!

Into Reading provides explicit, systematic instruction across all strands of literacy—reading, vocabulary, English language development, and foundational skills—based on trusted research and recommendations from the International Literacy Association (ILA), the International Reading Association (IRA), and other significant research in literacy education.

Into Reading also promotes mastery of the foundations of reading through a structured sequence. This includes Phonics, Phonological Awareness, Print Concepts, High-Frequency Words, Decoding, Spelling, Word Study, Handwriting, and Fluency, ensuring that children become fluent, confident, and thoughtful readers. 

As part of the implementation process, we are committed to supporting our teachers through professional development sessions starting in April and continuing throughout the implementation year. Additionally, curriculum development will begin in June to ensure that Into Reading aligns seamlessly with our educational goals and standards.

We understand the importance of providing access to resources for our school families. That's why we are pleased to offer immediate access to digital materials for families through the Into Reading digital platform. Over the summer, your child will have access to Into Reading through their personal account on Clever. This will allow students to explore the program and prepare for the upcoming school year at their own pace.

We recently held parent nights to introduce Into Reading and provide information on how to access digital materials. If you missed these sessions, we have another session scheduled tomorrow, March 20th, at St. Cloud (6pm) and Central Office (7:30pm). We encourage all parents to attend and learn more about this exciting new addition to our curriculum.

For more information about Into Reading and how to access digital materials, including login information, please see the information below. All presentations have been posted for your convenience.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to provide the best possible education for our students. We look forward to embarking on this journey with Into Reading together!

Warm regards,

Eveny de Mendez, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction

Beatrice Hanratty, K-5 ELA Supervisor

March 19, 2024

ELA Update: Family Letter REVISED (March 13, 2024)

ELA Update: Family Letter (February 16, 2024)