Principal Note
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for our wonderful school community. Your support, partnership, and dedication to your children's learning make our school a special place where growth, kindness, and curiosity flourish every day.
This season reminds us to pause and appreciate the many blessings in our lives, including the joy and energy your children bring to school each day. Together, we are building a foundation of success, empathy, and resilience that will guide them for years to come.
May your Thanksgiving be filled with laughter, love, and cherished moments with family and friends. Thank you for all you do to make our school family strong.
With warmest wishes,
Jenny
Standards-Based Reporting
With the end of the trimester, I wanted to take an opportunity to review what standards-based reporting means and how it differs from more traditional grading.
Standards-based reporting communicates how students perform on a set of defined learning targets called standards; these standards come from the Minnesota Department of Education and are available to the public. Because there are so many state standards, the district has gone through a process to determine essential standards in math and reading. These standards are then written in "I can" statements to be student/family friendly (less education speak). The primary purpose of reporting on these essential standards is to communicate with you how your child(ren) is progressing on these end-of-the-year targets. It is important to point this out because it is the first trimester and getting a one or two is not unusual.
Standards-based reporting (SBR) shows specifically what students know and can do, allowing for a more accurate picture of student learning. In addition, SBR:
Provides accurate and meaningful feedback to students, parents, and teachers
Helps both the teacher and student focus and the teacher adjusts the instruction
Allows students multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in grade-level learning targets
Reflects and reports the most current evidence of student learning
A student's performance on various assessments and opportunities to practice throughout the trimester determines the student's current level of proficiency on specific learning targets identified on the report card. The levels of proficiency include:
N/A Not Assessed at this time--The standard has not been assessed yet
1: Needs Support--Student needs more intensive support and/or practice with the grade-level standard for the current trimester
2: Approaching Standard--The student is approaching the grade-level standard
3: Met Standard--The student has met the grade-level standard for the end of the year
This graphic was created a few years ago based on research by Ken O'Connor, Grading for Learning. It shows how traditional grading practices differ from Standards-based Reporting.
Finally, teachers are often asked if a student receives a 1 or 2, does it mean their child is behind? A 1 indicates a need for growth based on an expected target, and a 2 means the student is approaching. The goal of the SBR is to show progress toward the end-of-year grade-level standards. Teachers will continue to meet students where they are to continue to grow and learn. Please contact your child's teacher with any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the academic, social, and emotional success for students.
IB Edge--Learner Profile
Our focus for November is caring. Caring students want people around them to be happy and be sensitive to their needs. They think about the world and work to take care of their community and the environment. They remember to treat others how they would like to be treated.
How can parents help to develop students who are caring at home?
Role model the caring behavior you would like to see in your child. Your child has big eyes and ears and notices everything you do. Using kind words, helping people without being asked, and being active listeners show your child that you care about people. Even a simple thing, like holding a door for someone, shows your child that you are aware of others around you and want to help them.
Think about how your family can get involved with community organizations.
An example might be discussing and implementing Reduce, Reuse & Recycle in your home. By developing children who care about the environment, you are helping the future of the globe.
After reading a book, consider how the people in the book acted. Was someone in the book caring? All of the time or just some of the time? Were all the characters in the book caring or just some of them? Some books to consider:
o Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, Kevin Henkes
o The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein
o Yertle the Turtle, Dr. Seuss
o The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle
A Book Review--Anxious Generation
I recently read this book, and I felt it was one worth sharing. Author Jonathan Haidt writes about a shift from a "play-based childhood" to a "phone-based childhood" and the impact of this shift has on children's mental health and how they interact with others. Haidt also dives into how social media has impacted youth. His research on the impact of social media shows a greater negative impact on girls than boys, and/but, he adds boys have been withdrawing more from the real world and into the virtual world with harmful consequences. You can learn more by checking out the Anxious Generation website.
One reviewer of the book wrote, "With tenacity and candor, Haidt lays out the consequences that have come with allowing kids to drift further into the virtual world...While offering suggestions and solutions that could help protect a new generation of kids." --Shannon Carlin, TIME, 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
I would love to do a book study around this book with interested parents and teachers. If anyone is interested please let me know!
A Few Reminders
Colder Weather is Upon Us
As we transition from this very nice fall weather to cooler temperatures, please make sure your child brings appropriate gear to school. Kids will go outside if the temperature is -10 degrees or warmer, so having appropriate clothing and boots every day is very important both for recess and getting to and from school.
Please label all gear with your child's name so if it happens to be left outside or in some other area of the school we can get it back to them as soon as possible.
If your child is in need of winter gear, please reach out to the office for assistance.