Week of September 28th
There is no school on September 28th (Yom Kippur).
I appreciate the continued support, effort, and hard work of the whole NPS community.
This week, we will begin the iReady Diagnostic assessment for students in 1st through 5th grade. The i-Ready Diagnostic is one measure to help teachers effectively assess their students; the assessent also provides individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs (additional information on iReady listed below).
Next week, on October 8th, we will host our all virtual Back to School Night. I will share a recorded presentation that you can view at any time. On October 8th, you can attend live sessions with your child’s teacher starting at 6:30pm. Multiple sessions are offered to support families with multiple children in the school. If you have any questions that you would like me to address in my presentation, please feel free to reach out in advance.
Please note, that MSD will continue to share important information on the Coronavirus Update Center and on our MSD Forward pages.
Please know that I am here to help and support in any way that I can. Feel free to reach out to me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net.
Let’s Talk About Race, Equity and Inclusion
This part of the newsletter will have a question or a topic for you to discuss with your child(ren). This can be done on the way to school, on the way to sports practice, before dinner, at bedtime, etc.
Each week there will be a “something to think about” question and a “something to talk about” question. The “something to think about question” is for you as a parent to reflect on for yourself. The “something to talk about” question is for you to discuss with your child. These exercises are meant to stimulate a conversation on race, equity and inclusion in America.
Week Three
Parent Reflection Question: What do you know about your ethnic identity? Is this something you have talked about with your family and friends? (“Ethnicity” refers to shared culture, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.)
Third Question For Child: Do you know what ethnicity is? Do you know your ethnicity?
Normandy Park School Back to School Night
Date: Thursday, October 8th, 2020
Where: Virtual
Time:
Session 1: 6:30pm to 6:55pm
Session 2: 7pm to 7:25pm
You are invited to Normandy Park School’s Back to School Night.
On October 8th, I will share a recorded presentation that you can view at any time. You can attend live sessions with your child’s teacher starting at 6:30pm. Multiple sessions are offered to support families with multiple children in the school.
By October 8th, your child’s classroom teacher will share a Zoom link for the session directly with you.
iReady Diagnostic Testing (Gr. 1 to Gr. 5)
Next week, our school will begin administering the i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment for grades 1st through 5th. i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs. i-Ready Diagnostic assesses the following skill areas:
Reading
• Phonological Awareness
• Phonics
• High-Frequency Words
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
Math
• Number and Operations
• Algebra and Algebraic Thinking
• Measurement and Data
• Geometry
i-Ready Diagnostic begins by giving students an adaptive assessment in reading and math. An adaptive assessment is a test that automatically adjusts the difficulty of the questions according to each student’s performance in order to determine his or her abilities in reading or math. i-Ready is a very different kind of test that presents students with questions that can be both too easy and too hard. It is designed to do this until the assessment finds exactly the level at which the student is performing. Therefore, your child will certainly see some items above his or her level. Your child will be encouraged to independently complete the test to the best of his or her ability, and know that it is okay to get questions wrong.
Each time a student gets an item incorrect, he or she will be presented with a simpler question until the diagnostic finds the grade level at which the student is performing. The assessment efficiently assesses students across multiple grade levels, allowing for identification of root causes of students’ struggles or for identification of areas where a student is ready for further challenge. This information will then provide the teacher with a “road map” to instructional remediation.
Once your child completes the test, he or she will be assigned online instruction to support his or her progress in mastering each skill. i-Ready Diagnostic supports the teachers and administrators at your child’s school. The program provides a series of comprehensive reports designed to make classroom instruction more effective. These reports include data about student performance as well as detailed teaching suggestions. They help educators make informed decisions about the instruction that is right for your child.
Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher. For more information on i-Ready Diagnostic, please visit the Morris School District website: www.morrisschooldistrict.org
What can I do to help?
To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:
Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.
Try their best on each question and try not to rush.
Try not to worry about questions they do not know—remind them that it is expected they will only get about half of the questions correct.
Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish
Week of Respect
The Week of Respect is getting closer!
During the Week of Respect, students will participate in theme days to celebrate our united stand against bullying. See below for the schedule of events this year!
October 5th - Monday - No Drama Pajama Monday - Wear your favorite and comfortable PJ’s
October 6th– Tuesday – Team Tuesday - Wear your favorite professional team or college team clothing to show team support
October 7th - Wednesday - School Spirit - Wear your school colors
October 10th– Thursday –SuperHero Day! - Wear your favorite comic book and/or Superhero shirt
October 11th– Friday – Sweat Out Bullying Friday - Wear your most comfortable sweats
Grab & Go Meals (Update)
Grab & Go meals will be available for all students, who wish to receive them. The Federal Department of Agriculture has extended waivers that will allow MSD to serve ALL students meals for FREE through December 31, 2020.
PreK-5 homeroom teachers will take an account each day of who would like to order a meal; meals will be delivered to classrooms and distributed to students just prior to dismissal.
“Grab & Go” meals are also available on Monday and Wednesday for any students attending virtual instruction; multiple meals will be distributed on each day to cover the week: Morristown High School (50 Early Street) will distribute meals from 12:30 PM -1:00 PM in the back of the building near the flagpole; Lafayette Learning Center (31 Hazel Street) will distribute meals from 12:45 PM-1:15 PM from the auditorium doors. More information about School Breakfast & Lunch is available on the MSD Forward homepage under "Back to School Resources for Families."