Academics

De Zavala first graders are busy every day with a variety of literacy skills. Each day is filled with many opportunities to read: the weekly focus poem, a shared book, guided reading in a small group setting and a sustained silent reading time. One of the goals of the first grade teachers is to have all of their students "fall in love with reading!"

Suggested Reading Strategies at Home

De Zavala first graders are writing, illustrating and publishing their own books in their classrooms. This is an exciting way for them to work together, build their confidence and take pride in their accomplishments. What a creative group they're proving to be!

Science and social studies are integrated into the reading program. The goal is to guide children to apply the skills they learn in reading to the acquisition of knowledge through reading information books, magazines, and children's encyclopedias. This develops their associative skills, as well as the "basic skills." Interest is high because children are naturally curious about the world in which they live.

De Zavala first graders are being taught to think mathematically and to reason. With a lot of "hands on" lessons using a variety of manipulatives, they are learning to see relationships and patterns and to use numbers with confidence to solve problems. They are learning far more than arithmetic; they are delving into measurement, geometry, statistics and probability.

Conference time: 12:20-1:10PM

Lunch: 11:20-11:50AM

Our goal is to prepare our students for life's choices and challenges. We will maintain high expectations and challenge students to learn, grow, and achieve to each student's highest possible potential. We will enhance the learning process by fostering an atmosphere of respect, love and dignity.

During the year we will teach our second graders to implement strategies related to problem-solving in math. We will extend their educational experience by focusing on increasing fluency and strengthening reading comprehension skills. Second grade is a year of transition in which the students will become more independent thinkers and learners. This will enable them to have the skills needed to achieve success as they move through the upper grades.

Conference: 1:30-2:20 PM
Lunch: 11:35-12:05 PM

The Third Grade at de Zavala Elementary is the place to be! Education is student centered. We focus on active learning, research, hands-on activities, and extending thinking skills. Educational technology and using the Internet are a priority. Students are using curriculum-related web sites as an integral part of instruction.

Some of the goals that we would like to see the students in third grade accomplish are:

• Have a strong respect for themselves, other students, and authority figures.
• Have self-discipline.
• Learn to be responsible.
• Learn to use time effectively, develop organizational skills, and become confident learners.

Conference: 9:55 to 10:45 AM
Lunch: 12:00 to 12:30 PM

Why fit in when YOU can STAND OUT as a Fifth Grader at De Zavala ESA!

Fifth-grade students participate in many activities which prepare them for a smooth transition to middle school. In the final year of elementary school, expectations increase for students to plan and organize their work. Fifth graders show a surprising scope of interests and they work to develop command of time, organizational skills and responsibility. Lessons in literacy, math, social studies and science support fifth graders in higher-level thinking skills. Students also apply their study to real life problem solving as they become stewards of the environment. In addition, students utilize various forms of technology to expand their growth as life long learners. During this year of personal growth, fifth-graders need a sense of belonging, recognition and approval of their accomplishments amid efforts and opportunities to be responsible and make decisions on their own. With growing self-reliance, students will find in their classroom many opportunities for demonstrating curiosity, working independently, organizing daily work and assuming initiative in seeking help when needed.

Conference: 2:40 PM-3:30 PM
Lunch: 12:10 PM-12:40 PM

For elementary students in GPISD, Bilingual/ESL Programs provides a dual language program whose goal is bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. In this program, we provide one and two-way models, according to the needs of our campuses. In each of the models, the subjects contained in the curriculum are divided between the two languages of instruction, which are Spanish and English. No matter the language of instruction, the focus of the program is to develop knowledge of the necessary content in a way that can be transferred. The uniqueness of these models lies not in the way the subjects are taught, but in the students, who compose the classes.

A los alumnos de primaria en GPISD proveemos un programa de lenguaje dual cuya meta es de ayudar a los alumnos a lograr el domino en hablar, escribir y leer en dos idiomas, y valorar de forma equitativa dos culturas. Este programa se ofrece mediante los modelos de una y de dos vías, de acuerdo con las necesidades de cada campus. En ambos modelos las materias del currículo se dividen entre los dos lenguajes de enseñanza - inglés y español. Independientemente del lenguaje de enseñanza, el enfoque del programa es el desarrollo del conocimiento de la materia de modo que el alumno pueda transferirlo de un idioma al otro. La distinción entre los dos modelos consiste no en la manera en que se presenta la enseñanza, sino en los alumnos que componen las clases.

English

Spanish

One-Way

In a one-way classroom, all the students are from a non-English-speaking background. They are consistently provided with opportunities to acquire English. Beginning students learn to read and write in their native language, and these skills are later transferable to English. The student’s native language is not subtracted as English develops. It continues to be developed, with the end result being that students who complete the program will be proficient readers, writers, and speakers of both languages.

En el salón de una vía, todos los alumnos son de antecedentes de habla no inglesa. De forma consistente se les proveen oportunidades para adquirir el inglés. Los alumnos principiantes aprenden a leer y escribir en su idioma natal, y después pueden transferir estas destrezas al inglés. El desarrollo del idioma natal del alumno no se suspende mientras desarrolla el inglés. La habilidad del lenguaje sigue aumentando en los dos idiomas y el resultado es que al completar el programa entero los alumnos serán competentes en leer, escribir, y hablar los dos idiomas.

Elementary campuses that offer one-way dual language are:

• Austin Environmental Science Academy
• Bowie Fine Arts Academy
• Global Leadership Academy at Barbara Bush Elementary
• Daniels Academy of Science and Math
• Morton Elementary
• Dickinson Montessori Academy
• Eisenhower Elementary
• Garcia Elementary
• Marshall Leadership Academy
• Ochoa STEM Academy
• Rayburn Elementary STEAM Academy
• Seguin Elementary
• Whitt Fine Arts Academy
• Williams Elementary
• De Zavala Environmental Science Academy

Two-Way

In the two-way model, each class is composed of both native English speakers and speakers of other languages. The goal is to have both languages equally represented. Each language group receives initial literacy, reading and writing instruction, in their native language, whether that be English or Spanish. Once students reach 2nd grade, all students receive both English and Spanish literacy equally.  For this reason, our Two-Way program cannot accept Opt-in students past 1st semester of 1st grade unless they have a documented Dual Language history. This will ensure students can be successful when they reach second grade literacy in both languages across content areas.

As with the one-way model, the subjects in the curriculum are purposefully divided between the two languages. This arrangement allows students to transfer their knowledge of the subjects from one language to the other. The ultimate goal is the same as for the one-way model: proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking in two languages.

En el modelo Dual de dos vías, cada clase está compuesta tanto por hablantes nativos de inglés como por hablantes de otros idiomas. El objetivo es que ambos idiomas estén igualmente representados. Cada grupo lingüístico recibe instrucción inicial de alfabetización, lectura y escritura en su idioma nativo, ya sea inglés o español. Una vez que los estudiantes llegan al segundo grado, todos los estudiantes reciben alfabetización tanto en inglés como en español por igual. Por esta razón, nuestro programa Dual de dos vías no puede aceptar estudiantes nativos de inglés después del 1er semestre de 1er grado, a menos que tengan un historial documentado de instrucción en un programa de lenguaje dual. Esto garantizará que los estudiantes puedan tener éxito cuando alcancen la alfabetización de segundo grado en ambos idiomas en todas las materias.

Al igual que con el modelo Dual de una vía, las materias del plan de estudios se dividen intencionalmente entre los dos idiomas. Esta división permite a los estudiantes transferir sus conocimientos de las materias de un idioma a otro. El objetivo final es el mismo que el del modelo Dual de una vía: dominio de la lectura, la escritura y el hablar en dos idiomas.

Elementary campuses that offer two-way dual language are:

Las escuelas que ofrecen el programa Dual de dos vías son:

• Mosely Elementary
• Travis World Language Academy