AES Mission Statement: AES creates opportunities for all students to achieve academic and social success in a global environment while encouraging them to be self-motivated, life-long learners. AES - Goal 1: Students will improve their writing by learning and using "The 6+1 Traits of Writing". These include: * Ideas * Organization * Word Choice * Voice * Sentence Fluency * Conventions * Presentation AES - Goal 2: All students will demonstrate improvement in problem solving in all curricular areas. Students will use a step-by-step process with common vocabulary called UPSL: Understand – What is the problem? Plan – What strategy will you use? Solve – Do the problem! Look Back - Tell how you solved the problem. What we are doing with these in C-7: The children have been working daily in a whole group on UPSL as a method of problem solving. We will begin this Friday to do independent written UPSL problems as part of our routine. I also encourage the use of transition words when writing the explanation sentences (First, Next, Then, Last). I have taught the students songs for both of these goals and am attaching them here. I am also attaching a page for each which asks questions about the writing for each trait. This will better explain what each means. They have been video taped singing the UPSL song for morning announcements, however there have been technology glitches lately and it has not been on yet. Please encourage use of the 6+1 Traits when writing and use of UPSL on problems at home to reinforce these goals. Not only are these schoolwide goals, but they are life-skills that your child could use throughout his/her education.