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Families

Ode To Tomasita

By: Mekhi Bradford

From Tomasita’s hallowed halls to the playground where we used to play, 

Basketball and 4-square from day to day. 

Carefree days of learning & laughter filled the air, 

We built friendships strong as bridges, bonds beyond compare. 

Our dreams, vast as the ocean is wide, 

Now short-term goals as we bear the strong tide. 

Ms. Hohns, our teacher, from whom a river of knowledge flowed, 

Preparing us for greatness, in her class the seeds of our dreams were sowed. 

Mr. Bryant challenged our writing skills like no other, 

In our class, our talents, we were sure to discover. 

Our Principal, Mrs. Jarmillo, encouraged us at every turn 

Although she is very nice, she could also be very stern.

Doctors, engineers, authors we aspire to be, 

In the halls of Tomasita , where kids roam happy and free.  

Ezra, my best buddy, we made plans to soar, 

Creating comic books with Black, Native, and Hispanic heroes galore. 

Though Ms. Johns and Ezra have found their eternal rest, 

Their spirits linger on in this place, I love best. 

Since 1973, these halls echo of trials and triumph with every lesson taught. 

In every memory, a treasure that each student brought.  

In Tomasita’s warm embrace, you will always find, 

A legacy of big dreams, endless friendships, and brilliant minds.  

Mrs. Jarmillo and former student
Tomasita students around Principal's desk

Tomasita Grade Level Expectations based on Nationwide Common Core Standards

What can parents & families do to support their student’s learning?

Read Every Night.  Ask your child questions about what they read.  Ask your child if they have homework and complete the homework.

Students should leave Kindergarten . . . 

  • Recognizing and writing all letters and sounds of the alphabet upper and lower case.

  • Counting to 100.

  • Writing numbers 1-30

Students should leave First Grade . . . 

  • Recognizing 75 sight words.  (You can ask your teacher for a list.)

  • Be able to read DRA 16-18 (Grade Level Text) which is more than simple decodable text.

  • Writing 3 complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and legible handwriting.

  • Write and recognize numbers to 130.

  • Know addition and subtraction to 20.

Students should leave Second Grade . . . 

  • Reading (decoding) and spelling multisyllabic words.

  • Read 50-90 words per minute. 

  • Retell a story with beginning, middle and end. 

  • Writing 5 complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and legible handwriting.

  • Addition and Subtraction with regrouping- up to 3 digit number

  • Tell time to 5 minute increments.

  • Recognize and count coins.

Students should leave Third Grade . . . 

  • Writing a 5 sentence paragraph with complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, spelling and legible handwriting. 

  • Able to write a story with a beginning, middle and end

  • Be able to revise and edit their writing

  • Read grade level material with fluency and understanding

  • Know all multiplication facts through 12

  • Be aware of basic division facts through 12

  • Understand place value to 1000

  • Identify fractions, understand fraction vocabulary, compare fractions with like-denominators or like-numerators, and identifying equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8

Students should leave Fourth Grade . . .

  • Use reading comprehension strategies to understand text, including making inferences, determining the main idea and identifying key details

  • Know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis in decoding words

  • Write descriptions, summaries, reports and letters using correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

  • Add, subtract, multiply and divide with larger numbers

  • Recognize fractions: adding, subtracting and making equivalent fractions

  • Solve two-step word problems

Students should leave Fifth Grade . . . 

  • -Read grade level material with fluency
  • -Write different kinds of essays, reports, research papers and narratives.  
  • They should understand the basic structure with an introduction, body and conclusion.
  • -Know how to gather information and cite sources and evidence
  • -Know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide with larger numbers
  • -Know fractions and be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide
  • -Know how to use PEMDAS (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction)