Secondary Newsletter
3/6 - 3/10
How to translate this newsletter: (como traducir este boletin)
Compiled by Lotus Students
Important Dates
3/10 - Half day for K-12
3/13 - 3/17 - Spring Break
3/24 - Half day for K-12
Returning to Lotus Next Year?
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Please reserve your student(s) seats by letting us know that your student(s) will return for the 2023-2024 school year by filling out this Intent to Return form.
** This form should be submitted only once per student. If you have multiple students in grades K through 12, please submit this form repeatedly for each student.
Important State Testing Information
4/12 - PSAT and SAT for grades 9, 10, and 11
4/24-26 - CMAS ELA and Math for 6-8
4/27 - CMAS Science for grades 8 and 11
It is very important that all students are present in school for state testing. This includes PSAT, SAT and CMAS. Avoid scheduling appointments or other activities that require your student(s) to miss school on these dates. Thank you for your understanding and support.
CMAS / PSAT / SAT: What you need to know
Colorado has a series of educational standards known as the Colorado Academic Standards that outline academic objectives for students in every grade across 10 content areas. The standards were recently revised to raise the bar for Colorado students, increasing expectations to prepare them to succeed in college or careers upon high school graduation. Colorado administers a set of common assessments known as the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) and PSAT/SAT to measure students' mastery of the state's academic standards.
In April 2023, third- through eighth-graders in Colorado will take the CMAS tests aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards. Colorado's ninth and 10th graders will take the PSAT, and 11th graders will take the SAT (11th graders also take CMAS science). The state-level results for these tests are expected to be made available in August 2023.
How will the tests help my child?
The tests allow your child to show what they have been learning and practicing in their classroom and how well they connect with classroom instruction. The results will help you check your child's progress toward mastering the academic standards' grade-level expectations. The results will let you know how well your school is teaching all students and will provide you and other families in your community with information about how local schools are meeting the needs of all students.
How will the tests help my child's school or district?
The tests provide critical information to the district and state on how well all students in your child's school are doing, so the school can be supported. They allow teachers and principals to see any differences between groups of students and improve instruction so that all students can succeed. The results can highlight achievement gaps, so steps can be taken to ensure all students are supported in making meaningful progress. And the results can help state policymakers and local school boards identify schools needing more assistance or resources.
State law allows parents to excuse their children from taking state assessments. If a parent wants to excuse his or her child from participating in an assessment, the district is not allowed to impose negative consequences on students or parents, including prohibiting school attendance, imposing an unexcused absence, or prohibiting participation in extracurricular activities. Likewise, districts cannot impose unreasonable burdens or requirements on a student to discourage the student from taking an assessment or to encourage the student's parent to excuse their child from the assessment. Parents should know, however, that nonparticipation in state assessments means they will not have information on their child's attainment and growth on the state standards compared to other children.
Diversity and Inclusion
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If you have any questions, please contact the Secondary office.
Do you know someone who might want to attend Lotus? Applicants can complete their application by clicking the NOW ENROLLING button.
Lotus School for Excellence
LOTUS School for Excellence
Lotus first opened its doors in August 2006 with a total of 147 students in grades 6 and 7. Each year after that, its enrollment increased gradually to finally reach over 900 students, with grades spanning from Kindergarten to 12th. In such a diverse and disadvantaged community, for over a decade, Lotus has managed to instill interest in students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Today it is one of the most successful schools in Aurora.
Leadership Team
Executive Director - Brett Williams bwilliams@lotusschool.org
Principal - Yavuz Durmus ydurmus@lotusschool.org
Dean of Student Culture - Anthony Watson awatson@lotusschool.org
Secondary School Nurse- Denise Nelson dnelson@lotusschool.org