Elementary School E-notes: September 13th, 2017

Dear Parents,
Congratulations to our 5th Grade students, parents, and staff who enjoyed camp last week. While the weather left us wishing for sun, the smiles and connections made on the trip were well worth the effort!

Please note this upcoming and important event which will require parents to pre-plan:
October 3 and 4th: PK-Grade 5 Parent-Teacher-Student: 3-Way Conferences
The purpose of these conferences is to establish a relationship between student, parents and teacher- those who are responsible for supporting the student through the learning process.
All present at the conference will have a role to play in highlighting and identifying achievements, challenges and possible next steps.

• Students will reflect on and share their learning through learning artifacts and possibly portfolios.
• Parents have a chance to share their perspectives on their child’s learning with both the student and teacher.
• Teachers will also share evidence of student learning growth (compared to themselves and grade level expectations or standards) with the parents and student.

*Goals and concerns for the rest of the year, are collaboratively developed by parents, student and teacher and a learning plan is established.
   
Sign-Ups will be sent out next week via our new conferences sign-up tool: Scholastico. While we will not have regular school on Oct. 3 and 4, attendance at the scheduled conference (during the times you sign up for) is mandatory. Teachers will not host conferences outside of the two days established for this work.
As I mentioned at Back to School night- parents are welcome to schedule other times to meet with teachers regarding their children. However, the conferences scheduled on the ES Calendar- when students are not attending school- require student and parent presence to ensure our collaborative learning goals occur.

Finally, this Wednesday-Friday I will be off campus with a small group of our PYP Learning Leaders, attending a conference on Teacher Leadership. While I do not like being absent, my work with this group of teachers is important to our continued growth and goals as a PYP school.

I will remain available via email, and the ES Office Team is ready to help you in any way they can.

Warmly,
Jen Munnerlyn
ASW Elementary Principal

This Week:
Wednesday, Sept. 13: Early Release Wednesday (Students Dismissed at 11:30) NO LATE START   
Friday, Sept. 15: Parent Partnership Meeting: Language Learning in the PYP (see below)
Saturday, Sept. 16: PTO Fall BBQ


Coming Up:
September 18-22: MAP Testing in Grades 3, 4, 5
September 25: Board of Trustees Meeting
September 22: Spotlight On Grade 2 Assembly (8:45-9:25)

• Grade 5 “Laptop Take Home” Meeting for Parents- TLC A002 (9:30-10:00)

September 29: Spotlight On Grade 3 Assembly (8:45-9:25)
October 3 and 4: Parent-Teacher-Student: 3-Way Conferences
                            No ASA ( After School Activities )

Calendar Questions?
Please check the ASW Website Calendar for the most up-to-date postings each week!


Join the Elementary French and Polish Teachers to learn more about:

• What languages are offered by ASW?
• Who are the language teachers?
• What does the Language schedule look like?
• Who can attend the mother-tongue program?
• What are the goals of our French and Polish curriculum?
• How languages operate in PYP?

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Early Release Day- Wednesday, September 13- No Late Start
On September 13 ASW will host a Professional Development afternoon for staff. Our schedule on that day will be different. Students will arrive to school in time to start at 8:30 and will be dismissed at 11:30. The Elementary School will run a modified schedule. Lunch will not be served. Your classroom teacher will be in touch regarding specialist classes on that day. Please check Teacher Blogs for the most up to date information.

MAP- Measures of Academic Progress Testing- Grades 3-5
During the week of September 18-22, we will be conducting the MAP test in the Elementary School. This test is a standardized test students in Grades 3-5 take on a computer. It is also an “adaptive test” meaning the questions change based on how the child answers them. A few important items to note:

• The test is a snapshot in time. Over time, and after multiple tests, the results are interesting because they show the learning progress of a student in Reading and Mathematics.
  
• The MAP test is not used as a grade. Instead, we compare the test result with what we already know about the learner. If there are inconsistencies, the teachers, together with our Learning Support, EAL and Literacy Coaches will dig deeper into the data.
  
• Students and teachers do not “prep” for the test. Instead, this assessment allows us to take this particular moment in-time to survey where students are, in order to compare that information with our own, essential, classroom data.
  
• The results of this first assessment will be distributed to parents once the whole school testing window closes. A follow-up assessment will be given in the Spring to allow us to track and discuss growth over time. (Students in Grades 4-10, who have taken the MAP Test at ASW, will have the benefit of seeing multiple years of data in the handout provided.)
  

If you have questions about the MAP test, please contact your child’s teacher; Jen Munnerlyn, ES Principal; or Carol Jordan Director, of Teaching and Learning.