Dear Lions Park Families,
Happy New Year! It was a pleasure to welcome staff and students back to Lions Park this week. I hope your family enjoyed the holiday season and the break from the typical routine.
We had a wonderful first week back. One highlight was a presentation by author Kate Hannigan for each grade level. We are grateful to the PTO for sponsoring an author visit. One message that resonated with many students was the importance of persevering even when you are not successful at first. Ms. Hannigan showed students a scroll of all of her rejection letters, and it was over sixty pages long! We do still have some books available for sale. If you wish to buy one, please send cash or a check for $10.39. Checks should be made out to LP PTO.
On our first day back, Mrs. Grzybek and I were happy to be able to meet with each grade level to welcome students back and remind them of our Lions Park expectations to be safe, respectful, and responsible. We talked about what this looks like and sounds like in the hallways, lunchroom, bathrooms, and on the playground. We want our school to be a welcoming environment for all, and we know this will only happen if everyone acts in a safe, respectful, and responsible manner.
We will be doing some districtwide assessments starting next week. Students will take MAP (Measures of Academic Progress). Students will take two computerized MAP tests- one in reading and one in math. Each test takes approximately one hour. Also, during the next two weeks students will participate in brief assessments to look at their reading fluency and math problem solving. The reading fluency test involves having students read three passages aloud for one minute per passage. The math problem-solving test is another computerized test that measures students' ability to answer questions on a timed test. This information helps us to plan for instruction and also to identify students who may benefit from additional interventions or enrichment.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Warmly,
Katie Kelly
