Principal's Message

We are in the fifth week of school and are firmly into new learning for all students. Our fourth grade students are digging into novels like Alvin Ho interpreting characters and writing narratives, our third grade students are investigating big ideas in science like inheritance and traits... Second grade students have just launched into Math Module 2- measuring, estimating, and solving word problems involving addition and subtraction of length. First graders are becoming cartographers! They are reading, drawing and writing about maps to better understand their neighborhoods, city and the world around them. As kindergarteners and preschool students settle into their first learning experiences, we are gaining exposure to alphabetic principles, gaining fluency in subitizing and growing our stamina for a full school day of learning, sharing and building a positive classroom community.

The fifth week of school is also our first opportunity for comprehensive feedback to families. On Friday, September 19 you can expect to receive important first quarter progress reports in your child's backpack. Grades reflect students' progress towards the yearlong grade level, common core state standards.

• Kindergarten students receive the Quarter 1 Kindergarten snapshot and qualitative notes from teachers
• Students in Grades 1-4 receive an update on Quarter 1 Grades, called a Progress Report. This is the halfway mark of the first quarter. You can expect to receive progress reports or quarterly final grades every five weeks.
• Students in Grades 1-4 will also receive Beginning-of-Year assessment reports for nationally normed tests.
• Students scoring below grade level in reading, Grades 1-4, may also receive notice about academic intervention services called MTSS.

With so many reports going home, week 6 is a great time to check in with your child's teacher about any celebrations, concerns or questions you have about your child's progress towards grade level standards. Your partnership in your child's growth is invaluable and ensures even greater success. One of the most important things you can do is make sure that your child is in school every day! Right now our average daily attendance is 94.59%! Our goal is to maintain above a 94% average daily attendance every day. This means that a child should miss no more than one day of school every three to four weeks. Let's keep up the strong trend so our children have every opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.

Warmly,

Conrey Callahan