There are a number of possible ways to ensure that you will get the most out of your elementary school experience and we want to make sure that students are adjusting and doing well throughout the year.  Teachers will provide you information and feedback in the form of regular progress report and parent-teacher conferences are held early so there is lots of time to make a personal connection and to identify any areas that need improvement.  If problems arise, help is available from teachers, school staff or the administration, their door is always open!

In addition to quality teaching students at Rutherford access a number of supplementary supports to encourage and support learning including:

Accelerated Reader (AR) The Accelerated Reader program helps students increase their reading practice time and enjoyment of reading. Students read a book, take a quiz measuring comprehension, and teacher and student review progress and set appropriate levels and goals based on consistent comprehension scores. Research tells us that matching students to their appropriate independent reading level or comfort zone is one of the best ways to ensure that students continue to make progress and enjoy independent reading time. Targeted reading levels are used as a guide to help students and teachers choose appropriate books from the library.

Paired and Echo Reading Time (PERT) If you have a chance to be at Rutherford in the morning, you will be delighted to see all students and staff involved in Paired and Echo Reading Time (PERT).Younger students with some reading skills or emerging reading skills are pairedwith older students to read and write together. Every Friday during PERT, studentsreflect on their reading during the week and engage in a shared writing activitywith their PERT partner.

The benefits of the PERT program include:

• better readers and reflective thinkers;

• older students becoming excellent leaders;

• younger students having older mentors;

• the formation of long lasting relationships; and

• creating a community of readers.

French as a Second Language French as a Second Language (FSL) is taught from Kindergarten to Grade 6.The focus begins on developing comprehension and encouraging ease ofspeaking through games, songs, rhymes and skits. Reading and writing are introduced in later grades.

Students in Kindergarten receive 30 minutes of FSL instruction each week, and students in Grades 1 to 6 receive 150 minutes.

Students will have the opportunity to be involved in a French club working towards the goal of writing the DELF Prim French exam.  The DELF Prim is a French Language Studies diploma issued by the French Ministry of Education.  The diploma is recognized all over the world and demonstrates French language proficiency.