January Newsletter

Third grade students will complete their interim assessments this month. Interim assessments are tests given at specific times throughout the school year to check how well students understand key concepts and use certain skills.

Think of interim assessments as part of a larger system that includes different types of evaluations:

• Formative assessments (like classroom quizzes and discussions) help guide daily teaching.
• Summative assessments (like end-of-year tests) measure overall learning.
• Interim assessments fall in between, providing valuable check-ins on student progress.

Interim assessments play an important role by:

• Helping teachers and students track progress.
• Giving schools useful data to adjust teaching methods and programs to better support student achievement.
• Prepares students for the state assessment

When used effectively, these assessments ensure students stay on track and teachers can tailor their instruction to meet every child’s needs.

At Overbrook, we deeply value our partnership with parents and recognize that the success of all our students is a shared goal. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact your building principal.

We will continue to keep you informed if your child’s attendance meets any of the thresholds outlined by state law and our USD 434 policies. As part of this effort, students with less than 90% attendance for Quarter 2 will receive an attendance awareness letter. This letter is meant to provide information and help us work together toward achieving our building attendance goal. Please note this is ONLY an awareness letter.

We understand that the second quarter falls during illness season, and we appreciate your efforts to balance health and school attendance. As a reminder, it’s important to differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. Below is a guide to help clarify:

Excused Absences

• Personal Illness: For absences of three or more consecutive days, a doctor’s note is required to return to school. The note should include the date of the visit and the date the student can return.
• Medical Appointments: Includes medical, mental health, or dental appointments. Students should not miss a full day for routine visits. An appointment card from the doctor/dentist must be submitted to the office upon return.
• Family Crisis: Includes serious illness or death in the family.
• Religious Events: Includes obligatory religious observances.
• Funerals: Parents should notify the school in advance via phone or a written note.
• Field Trips: Participation in district-approved or school-sponsored activities.
• Pre-Arranged Family Requests: Must be approved by the principal in advance.
• Military-Related Absences: Additional absences may be excused for students of active-duty military personnel for visitations during leave or deployment, at the principal’s discretion.

Unexcused Absences

Absences not meeting the above criteria are considered unexcused. Examples include:

• Oversleeping
• Car trouble
• Shopping
• Haircuts or photo sessions
• Lost or deceased pets
• Birthday celebrations

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to maintain strong attendance habits and support our students’ success. If you have any questions or need assistance, we’re here to help.

At OAC, we are dedicated to celebrating the achievements of our students. I am thrilled to share that we exceeded our goal for the FastBridge Universal Screener! Our target was for 80% of students to show growth or maintain Benchmark and above from the fall to winter assessment. Impressively, 98% of our students met this milestone, demonstrating their hard work and commitment to learning.

To honor this incredible achievement, we will host a school-wide celebration on January 10th. The Kansas State Extension Office will join us to provide engaging presentations and exciting hands-on rotations for all grade levels. We look forward to celebrating this fantastic accomplishment together!

To ensure every student receives the support they need, we use a short screening assessment called Fastbridge up to three times a year. These assessments help teachers identify which students are on track to meet end-of-year learning goals and which ones may benefit from additional help.

Here’s how we approach this process:

• Assessments We Use:
  • Grades K-1: earlyReading and earlyMath
  • Grades 2-3: aReading, CBMreading, and aMath
• After the screenings, teachers carefully review the results alongside other information about student performance.

For students who may need extra support, we provide additional instruction designed to help them meet their learning goals. To monitor progress, these students take short, regular tests (bi-weekly or dependent upon their needs) to track improvement and ensure the extra support is working.

Parents will receive information about their child’s progress during parent-teacher conferences or at other points throughout the year. These updates help everyone—teachers, students, and families—stay informed about progress and work together to help each student succeed.

We appreciate your partnership in supporting your child’s learning journey! If you have any questions about the screening or progress-monitoring process, feel free to reach out.

1/6: No School - Teacher Prep

1/7: No School - Professional Development Day

1/8: Classes Resume

1/15: 6pm BOE Meeting

1/20: No School (MLK Day)

Welcome back! We are excited to continue our journey of growth and learning together. This month in the classroom, we are completing our lessons on calm-down strategies and transitioning into conflict resolution. This is a challenging but vital skill for children at this developmental stage. Younger students often focus on their own feelings and experiences when they are frustrated, which is entirely age-appropriate. In class, we emphasize not only expressing their feelings to others but also developing empathy by understanding different perspectives and working collaboratively to find resolutions.

On a personal note, I am thrilled to share that I am expecting a baby boy in mid-February! During my maternity leave, I will not be available to assist directly. If you have any immediate concerns regarding your child, please contact Megan in the front office, and she will help connect you with the appropriate resources. Additionally, our social worker, Maggie Mead, will be supporting my caseload and ensuring that students I work with regularly continue to receive the care they need.

We have communicated this transition with the students to prepare them and ensure they are comfortable with the changes ahead. Please know that we have a solid plan in place to support all students during this time.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work together to help your children grow and succeed! ---Mrs. Metsker

Please take a moment to read what your child has been doing in Art, PE, Music and Explorer!