November Tidbits

 

November

1. Review that report card 

   Pay careful attention to all progress reports and report cards. You want to get help for any problem areas before your child falls too far behind. Ask your child's teacher how grades are determined and for suggestions on how your student can improve. Review grades and the teacher's comments with your child—always starting with something she's doing well, then pointing out areas that need attention, and ending with something positive again.

2. Encourage creativity 

   Urge your children to enter the National PTA Reflections arts contest. They can submit works of art in six categories: visual arts (such as painting, drawing, or collage), literature, musical composition, photography, film production, and dance choreography. This year's theme is “Diversity Means…”
   

3. Make over your meals 

   November is National PTA's Healthy Lifestyles Month, so think carefully about what your kids are eating at home and in school. For more healthy eating and lunch-packing tips, go to pta.org/goodchoices and choosemyplate.gov/kids.

4. Be a good citizen 

   Go to free.ed.gov to learn more about how government works.

5. Give thanks 

   This month's Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to talk with your children about all the freedoms the United States has to offer its citizens. Help your children explore what life was like here during the first Thanksgiving at the Library of Congress website: loc.gov/families. 

    

   Resource- Dpt of Ed Countdown to Success
   

September Parent Tidbits

 

1. Reach out to your kids' teachers Attend Parent Conferences, orientation, or other welcome events, but don't stop there. Make a point of introducing yourself and learning about class activities and expectations for the year. Find out how each teacher prefers to communicate.

   Many use e-mail as the main form of contact, but phone calls and conferences (make an appointment first) are usually welcome, too. For more advice on building a parent-teacher relationship that will last the entire year, as well as links to all the websites featured in this guide, go to parenting.com/success.

2. Get in the groove Establish healthy at-home routines for school days, such as consistent waking times and getting-ready patterns. Decide on a regular homework time, and create a comfortable, quiet work space. Set bedtimes that allow elementary-age kids to get 10 to 12 hours of sleep; teens should get 8½ to 9½ hours.

3. Time things right Stay on top of everyone's school, activity, and work schedules with a free online calendar or a smartphone app.

4. Pack smart Make sure your child's backpack never weighs more than 10 to 20 percent of his body weight; heavy packs can strain developing muscles and joints. Encourage your child to use both straps, and tighten them so the pack hangs close to the body, about two inches above your child's waist.

5. Commit to volunteering With help from parents like you, your school can offer many more programs and services for your kids. Join your school's PTO and ask about volunteer opportunities in the school community and your children's classrooms. National PTA's “Three for Me” campaign encourages parents to pledge to volunteer at least three hours during the school year. Go to three4me.com for more information.

    See https://www.ed.gov/parents/countdown-success for more information
   

    

Illuminate FastBridge Fall Screener

 

Parents,

Our students will take the Fall Illuminate FastBridge Assessment August 30- September 17 to assess Reading and Math achievement. Students will take small sections of the assessments each day during the testing window. For each assessment, students receive an achievement percentile. In addition, student growth is calculated and growth percentiles are assigned to the level of progress.

Please encourage your child to do their best on the test. The test is not graded; FastBridge assessments are used to measure K-8 students’ academic standing and growth three times per year. Students in Grades K-1 are assessed using earlyReading and earlyMath. Both these assessments are administered in a one-on-one setting between the teacher and student, with teachers asking the assessment questions and recording student responses in the computer as they proceed. Students in Grade 2-5  take aReading and aMath, which are computer-adaptive assessments. That is, as a student answers questions correctly or incorrectly, the computer adapts so the subsequent questions will be more or less difficult until the student’s level of performance is identified. The computer-adaptive format is similar to how MAP was administered in previous years for all students in Grades K-8. The one-on-one assessments for students in Grades K-1 this year introduces a different process from how these grades have previously been assessed.

Parents, please access the link below to learn more about the assessment your child will start taking next week. Remember, this assessment is given (3) times a year in the Fall, Winter, and Spring.

http://www.scsk12.org/rpm/files/2020/Destination%202025%20Monthly_03-2020.pdf

It's Back to School Time!

 

Welcome Back to School, Spartans! Join us for Gear Up Day, August 3. We will see you for the first day of school, August 9. 

IReady

 Hello Parents!

Are you looking for something to do this summer? i-Ready will be available to use. It's a good time to work on reading and math lessons!

Summer Parent Tips

 

April Parent Tidbits

  

April

1. Get schooled in math 

   April is Math Awareness Month. Ask your children's teachers for suggestions on math games and online activities. Another resource: Check out the website of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: nctm.org/resources/families.aspx.

2. Go a little greener 

   Commemorate Earth Day on April 22 by planning an activity for your entire family, such as joining a local park's litter-cleanup team or planting a tree on your block. Check out your school-district website to see what they have on tap for students and their families.

3. Share your career 

    Lots of parents and kids will participate in Take Your Child to Work Day on April 26, but why not teach your child's entire class about your job? Offer to visit and talk about your career, and encourage other parents in the class to do the same.

4. Thank your school staff 

   These overlooked helpers are often the ones who keep things working smoothly for your children, so take time to recognize school office staff during the week of April 22 to 28, which is Administrative Professionals Week. Join with other parents to give a gift card or flowers, or have your kids make a card of their own.