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Hello Jefferson Families,

The month of May is upon us. After returning from spring break, we spent time emphasizing our Charger Expectations, and I’m really proud of the students for living out our Charger Code (safe, respectful, responsible and kind) each day.

With the calendar turning to May, our third, fourth and fifth graders will be taking the Smarter Balance Assessments (SBA) in English/Language Arts and Math. In addition, fifth graders will also take the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). If you are the parent of a kindergarten through second grader, the information below gives you a sense of what to expect when your child is in third, fourth and fifth grade.

These state tests are the only standardized tests given to assess the state curriculum standards (Common Core State Standards for Math and ELA, and Next Generation Standards for Science), including higher-level thinking, communication, reasoning, problem solving, and application of knowledge and skills in new situations. Teachers, staff and parents can gain information about students’ progress toward meeting grade-level expectations (what students should know and be able to do) in the core academic areas of reading, writing, math, and science.

Students have been preparing all year to show what they know on this test. Although we are confident everyone is well prepared and will do their best, you may see some signs of anxiety with your child during this time as some students experience some nervousness or apprehension before or during the assessment. While anxiety can be a powerful motivator, it also can go the other way and be detrimental to a student. Test anxiety can develop because of some prior negative experience with test taking, a lack of confidence, a fear of failure, or when a student’s self-worth is too closely tied to the test.

Here are some tips to ease your child’s anxiety about the tests:

• The brain needs a lot of energy to maintain focus in school. Eating a hearty and healthy breakfast of foods with protein and complex carbohydrates will help the brain think clearer and longer.
• Sleeping 8-10 hours will give your child stamina for focusing.
• Mark your calendar the exact days your child will be testing. This information can be found below in our newsletter.
• Give your child a chance to talk about testing if they want. Discuss any fears or nervousness. If your child is anxious, your reassurances will help them feel better. If you have a calm attitude about testing, your child will probably feel calmer too.
• Tell your child of your confidence in them and to give their best effort.
  
• Do something fun and relaxing in the evening to take their minds off the testing.
  
• Help your child keep a positive attitude. Reinforce a growth mindset and positive self- talk. Some examples might include: “I’m ready… I can do this… I’m prepared… I will do my best…”
  
• Encourage your child to shine! This is their time to show how much they have learned throughout the year!

Your child will have an opportunity to participate in “practice” assessments before the real thing. This allows students to get used to the formatting and technology involved with the assessments. I can already say I’m extremely proud of all our students who will be taking these assessments!

Warmly,

Steve Hopkins

Jefferson Testing Schedule

May 1: K-2 Concert at Everett Civic Auditorium 6:30 pm

May 5: LIF Friday 2:15 pm release

May 8: 3-5 Concert at Everett Civic Auditorium 6:30 pm

May 12: LIF Friday 2:15 pm release

May 19: LIF Friday 2:15 pm release

May 26: LIF Friday 2:15 pm release

May 29: Memorial Day - No School

When your child is absent from school, the preferred method to excuse absences is to email JFEAttendance@everettsd.org and give your child's name, the date(s) of the absence and the reason they are missing school. You may also call the attendance line, however you will still need to send written notice within 30 days.

If you plan to travel or go on vacation, district policy states it should be preapproved and excused by an administrator. You can find the form here: https://www.everettsd.org/domain/1835.

Mark your calendars for our Jefferson Spring concerts!

It's time for our Spring Concerts! Our Chargers and Staff have put in a great deal of work to make these concerts happen. Remember, if your child is in Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd Grade, their concert will be on May 1st. On May 8th, grades 3, 4, and 5 will perform in a concert. Both concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Everett Civic Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. Students are to arrive and sit with their class near the stage. Please help your child find their teacher then sit back and enjoy the show. We hope that all parents, guardians, and family members can come watch our hardworking Chargers put on a terrific show.

Mrs. Rockwell and Ms. Rivera can hardly contain their excitement for the upcoming concert. We are eagerly counting down the days! In the first two weeks of May, Ms. Rivera will transition into a full-time teaching role with the Jefferson Chargers. Mrs. Rockwell will still be around to observe and coach Ms. Rivera, and will transition back at the end of the year.

As always, our digital curriculum is also available to access from home. Just go to https://musicplayonline.com/student-login/ and enter the access code: d563078. There you can find many of the songs we are learning and the games we play in class. There are also several learning opportunities on the music Canvas pages for each grade, including the songs we will perform at the concert.

Debrah Rockwell

Music Teacher

Jefferson Elementary

Hello Families!

This month, we’d like to celebrate our student’s progress in writing! The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) define goals for writing grounded in evidence from both literary and informational texts. The standards build on one another as students write as a means to support opinions, demonstrate understanding of their learning in various subjects, and share real and imagined experiences. Writers build knowledge on a subject through research projects and learn to respond analytically to literary and informational sources. To meet the CCSS, students must devote significant time and effort to writing, producing numerous pieces throughout the year.

See the samples below where we highlight the informational strand of the writing standards which show the increasing sophistication of student tasks within the standard.

If you’d like more information on how the writing standards connect throughout the years or you can review the Common Core State Standards here or reach out to Jefferson’s Instructional Coaches.

Thank you,

Winter Graham, K-2 ELA & Math Coach

wgraham@everettsd.org

Jessica Lundgren, 3-5 ELA & Math Coach

jlundgren@everettsd.org

Students are asked to write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Students write multi-paragraph pieces and group related information together into main ideas supported by facts, definitions and details and cite evidence from sources. Writers utilize non-fiction features such as photographs and captions to aid in comprehension.

Students add observations and focus, logically group related facts, add formatting, non-fiction features, and multimedia to aid comprehension. Students develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. Writers link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses and use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Each month, our Everett Public Schools sends a newsletter to all of our families with information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. The May version of our newsletter is attached below for your consideration.