TEAM SUCCESS NEWSLETTER
September 2022
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are settling in nicely into the routine of the new school year. This month we kick off the first round of the new statewide progress monitoring (PM) testing, the FAST PM1 tests for ELA in grades 3-10 and math in grades 3-8. The dates are in our school calendar in the website and also later on in this newsletter. Please make sure your student is in school and ready to do their best!
As always, please feel free to reach out to your child's teachers and to our school staff and administrators in the main office with any questions or concerns.
Thank you for being a part of our Team Success family!
FAST testing kicks off
The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) is a progress tracking tool that will be administered three times a year to track your student's progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) standards throughout this school year.
FAST testing replaces the FSA testing we had in years past. End of year tests in Algebra 1, Geometry, Science (in grades 5 and 8), Biology, Civics, and US History remain the same.
All students in grades K to 10 will be tested in reading; all students in grades K-8 will be tested in math. FAST assessments are computer adaptive tests that are taken on a computer. The questions get easier or harder depending on how the student answers, and each student will see different questions.
The first administration of the FAST tests is in August for K-2 ELA and math, and in September for 3-10 ELA and 3-8 math. The second FAST test will be given in January and the third one will be in May. For specific dates, please check the calendar on the school website.
Parents will have access to student results through Focus, starting a couple of weeks after each exam.
For more information about Florida's state assessment program, visit the portal at https://flfast.org/.
Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging them to do their best during these assessments.
Progress Reports for Q1
Time flies! It's time for the first Progress Reports of the year!
On Monday, September 12, your student will bring home their progress report and the Quarter 1 newsletter from their teachers. This progress report covers just the first three and a half weeks of school, so there's still plenty of work to be done before Quarter 1 ends on October 6.
Please sign the progress report and return it to your student's homeroom teacher.
If you have any questions about how your student is doing, please reach out to your student's teachers.
UPDATED for October: Homecoming Dances
The Twelfth Grade class is throwing two Homecoming Dances:
HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING DANCE
For students in grades 9-12, the High School Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at the West Campus Cafeteria. The students attending the dance should be dropped off at the front school gate between 6:00 and 6:30 pm; for security reasons, the gate will close at 6:30 pm and remain closed for the duration of the event. Students should be picked up at the front gate at 9:00 pm.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HOMECOMING DANCE
For students in grades 6-8, the Middle School Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the West Campus Cafeteria. The students attending the dance should be dropped off at the front school gate between 5:00 and 5:30 pm; for security reasons, the gate will close at 6:30 pm and remain closed for the duration of the event. Students should be picked up at the front gate at 8:00 pm.
NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR
Tickets need to be purchased before the event and will be on sale to students during lunch. Each ticket costs $5.
Please contact the senior class faculty advisor, Ms. Sabrina Viota (sabrina@teamsuccessschools.com), with any questions about this event.
Celebrate Freedom this September!
September is
American Founders Month in the state of Florida. In their social studies classes, students will be exploring the contributions of the founders to American democracy, from the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence to the structure of government in the Constitution and the guarantees of individual rights in the Bill of Rights.
On September 17, the United States also celebrates Constitution Day, which focuses on the Constitution itself. Join us in learning more about the Constitution, and how everyone in the United States is part of "We the People," by watching and discussing the short video below with your student.
During this month we also commemorate Celebrate Freedom Week, which this year is on the last week of the month, September 26 to September 30. The main focus of Celebrate Freedom Week is understanding and appreciating the Declaration of Independence, a foundational document of the United States.
IMPORTANT TESTING DATES IN SEPTEMBER
- 9/01-09/02: Grades 1-2 FAST MATH - CBT (Computer-based)
- 9/07: FAST ELA grades 3-5 - CBT
- 9/08: FAST ELA grades 6-10 - CBT
- 9/23: FAST MATH grades 3-5 - CBT
- 9/24: FAST MATH grades 6-8 and ELA FSA writing retake - CBT
- 9/20-9/21: ELA FSA reading retake - CBT
- 9/22: EOC retakes for civics, biology, US history
- 9/27-9/28: EOC Algebra retake - CBT
- 9/21: EOC geometry retake - CBT
Team Success follows the SDMC's Calendar
Team Success A School of Excellence
We are a high-performing, accredited Title I K-12 public charter school in Manatee County, Florida.
