November News

November 14, 2009

Next week all parents are invited to attend a Parent-Teacher Conference to discuss the learning progress of their children (you have received a time to attend on either Thursday, November 19 or Friday, November 20). At this conference teachers will share student work, talk about each student's progress toward meeting grade level standards, and answer any questions you might have. This is the only formal conference we will schedule this year, but you are always encouraged to call the teacher to schedule a conference at other times as needed. It is imperative that every parent attend the conference next week, but also, stay in touch with the teacher all year.

Starting next week I will be posting grade level achievement scores in the front office. Students take district language arts assessments every 6 weeks, and a district math assessment three times a year. It is important for parents to be aware of how our school is performing on these assessments in relation to the district average, because we are all stake-holders in this school. We each play a part: the administrators, the teachers, the students, and the parents. If student scores are low it is not just one person's fault; we have all failed to do our part. Administrators need to monitor, teachers must be ready to teach, students have to be at school and ready to learn, and parents need to be informed and engaged in the learning of their child.

Next week we will also hold our first Reading Incentive Assembly on Wednesday, November 18. Each trimester we expect every student to set reading goals, and to read 15-30 minutes each night in order to reach those goals. Students who meet or exceed their goals will be able to attend the special assembly, which is a mime group this time. I am sure the students are going to enjoy this very unique form of entertainment, something I suspect many have never seen before. I will also post how many students in each class met their goals on that achievement bulletin board in the front office.

In just 5 short months we will again be taking State tests and it is critical that we have over 58% of our students scoring proficient. That is the work of the entire school community, so we will expect everyone to give 100% to the effort. This includes: being at school on time everyday; staying at school and not leaving early for appointments; doing homework each night; reading 15-30 minutes every night; memorizing math facts when they are taught; attending conferences and keeping in touch with the teacher; and requiring that children follow school rules and allow everyone to learn uninterrupted.

If your child is not doing well in school you have several options:

...stop by the front office for information about free tutoring
...sign up to attend our HEARTS afterschool program
...talk to the teacher about online reteaching and practice resources
...take advantage of services at the public libraries or the cybrary
...talk to the principal or assistant-principal if you do not feel your child is getting the help s/he needs.

We are here to support children in their learning, so come to school and get involved.