McKinley Mindset
Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
October 29, 2018
Happy MONDAY McKinley Skippers!Mindset Mondays
Thank you to those who attended our first Triple P Parenting seminar last week! The next session will be November 15th at 6pm. Please consider attending! Lots of useful information!
A Note About Report Cards:
We are excited that we have reached the end of the first quarter! Your students have been hard at work in their Units of Inquiry, developing a Growth Mindset and the Learner Profile. Please note that a paper report card will not be sent home with your child. You can access your child’s grades on Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you need assistance accessing your portal please contact the main office and we will be happy to assist you.
As a reminder, you may or may not see a grade for certain subjects (such as science or social studies) depending on where your child’s grade level is at in their Units of Inquiry. Subjects are graded as standards are taught.
We acknowledge that the current A-F grade system does not adequately reflect all of the wonderful things your child demonstrates as a learner in an IB Program. As part of our 5 year Action Plan for the Primary Years Program, we are planning to revise our grading system to better communicate your child’s efforts on the continuum of proficiency. This will be achieved through the development of a standards-based reporting system that integrates aspects of the Learner Profile and Units of Inquiry. Currently, your child is measured based on his or her performance towards Ohio’s New Learning Standards.
However, we feel that our report card, which still reflects a more traditional model, is no longer aligned with the rich educational experiences that we provide our students through transdisciplinary inquiry in the classroom.
What’s the difference between the traditional “A” through “F” grading system and a standards-based reporting system?
A standards-based reporting system is designed to inform parents about their child’s progress towards achieving specific learning standards. The new framework we envision will provide parents with a more comprehensive look at their child’s overall achievement with a more personalized approach. Although we are just at the beginning of this process, we hope to move quickly towards a new reporting system that will accurately reflect the needs of an International Baccalaureate World School.
Traditional Grading (How we currently grade)
A, B, C, D, F represent percentage of points accumulated
Non-academic factors affect grades, such as participation, attendance, late work, etc.
Everything is graded and averaged together
Early assignments can skew the final grade
Reports a single grade for each class
Standards-Based Grading (Moving to this)
4, 3, 2, 1 represent student performance in relation to specific standards
Based on common core national, state, and district standards
A report of what students know and are able to do
Reflect academic performance only
Behavioral information (Learner Profile) reported separately
What does each score (4, 3, 2, 1) mean on a Standards Based Report Card?
4 = Exceeding grade level standard. Demonstrates advanced level of knowledge and understanding.
3 = Meeting standard. Demonstrates solid knowledge and understanding
2 = Approaching standard. Demonstrates progress toward grade level standard, but not yet at standard. Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding.
1 = Well below standard. Not meeting grade level standard.
We invite parents to engage in dialog around this topic at a parent meeting on November 7th at 5pm (Conference night #1). If you are interested in participating in this discussion please RSVP to the main office or your child's teacher! We look forward to your input on this important topic as valued members of our learning community!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
Halloween Parties /Lake Metroparks Assesmbly
October 31st from 1:30-2pm Lake Metro Parks will bring our new adopted animal!!
October 31st 2-2:40pm will be the Halloween Parties. See additional details below!
Food Drive
McKinley Student council is teaming up with Feeding Fairport's Hungry! During the month of November we will be collecting canned food and other non-perishable items! We are specifically collecting items to help Feeding Fairport's Hungry provide Thanksgiving meals to needy families. (Items like green beans, stuffing, corn, instant mashed potatoes, canned pie mixes, crusts, cornbread mixes and bagged marshmallows)
Additional items will be donated to the food bank at St. Anthony's! The class with the MOST food collected will win a special treat provided by Student Council! COLLECTION STARTS NOVEMBER 5!! Help us help our community!!
Celebration!
Halloween Party Reminder!
It’s that time again!!! We are very excited for our Halloween parties this year! The parties will take place on Wednesday, October 31, 2017 from 2:00-2:40pm. Students are permitted to bring their costumes to school to wear on Wednesday afternoon. Please follow these simple dress code rules:
No fake blood or gore
No masks or anything covering the face
Wigs and colored hairspray will be permitted (please apply colored hairspray in the morning before sending your child to school)
No fake weapons of any kind
No t-shirts with inappropriate language or images
All skirts or dresses must adhere to the school dress code (Skirts and dresses must be long enough to reach the ends of a student’s fingers when placed on either side of the student’s legs.)
Hats are permitted
Any student found to be in violation of these rules may not be able to wear their costume for the party. Please note that your child should be able to put their costume on by themselves. Overly complex costumes are not recommended for the school Halloween party. Students will change into their costumes after lunch. Students who forget their costumes will NOT be permitted to call home to get them. Please send your child’s costume with your child in the morning. The school is not responsible for any lost or damaged costume parts. If you have concerns about ANY part of your child’s costume being lost, damaged or inappropriate please DO NOT send it to school. If you have any questions please contact the main office. We are looking forward to a great day on Wednesday! Please partner with us to make the 2018 Halloween parties a safe and fun event for all of our students!
Halloween party treats reminder- Please do not send homemade treats with your child. If they are sent in they will be returned to you. This rule is a safety precaution for students that may have identified or unidentified food allergies. Prepackaged foods contain ingredient lists and warnings for student with allergies. Please help us respect the needs and safety of all of our students.
Volunteers- There will be a sign in sheet in the office for the volunteers/visitors. Each volunteer is required to sign in at the office. We will not be collecting drivers’ licenses on that day but we do need ALL visitors to sign-in.
McKinley PTO
Also, Pizza Bingo is going to be held this Friday November 2nd 6:15-8pm in the McKinley Gym.Hope to see lots of smiling faces there!
Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK MCKINLEY SKIPPERS!
About Us
Email: jpolak@fhevs.org
Website: www.fhevs.org
Location: 602 Plum Street, Fairport Harbor, OH, USA
Phone: 440.354.5400
Facebook: facebook.com/fairportharborschools/
Twitter: @PrincipalPolak