East Elementary News
January 11, 2019
Passionately empowering learners through connection and innovation
Upcoming Events
January 14 - Happy Birthday, Micah Cross! (PK Teaching Assistant)
January 15 - East Elementary Family Science Night (6:00-7:30)
January 16 - LCISD District Science Fair
January 16 - February 5 - Middle of Year MAP Testing (More info below!)
January 19 - Happy Birthday, Sydney Musslewhite! (GT & Digital Learning Specialist)
January 19 - Winter Wonderland Father Daughter Dance (More info below!)
January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School)
January 21 - Happy Birthday, Jennifer Bishop! (Teaching Assistant in PPCD)
January 22 - Author Visit with Denay Hooks (More info below!)
January 26 - Happy Birthday, Anita Lopez! (Daytime Custodian)
February 2 - Happy Birthday, Sarah Brewer! (Kindergarten Teacher)
February 2 - Happy Birthday, Amber Burnett! (4th Grade Teacher)
February 4 - February 8 - National School Counselor Week (Celebrating Mrs. Lowe!)
February 4 - LCISD Professional Development Day (No School)
February 11 - February 15 - National "Random Acts of Kindness" Week
February 11 - February 15 - National "Take Your Family to School" Week
February 11 - Happy Birthday, Julie Ray! (Kindergarten Teacher)
February 14 - Valentine Parties (Exact Times TBD)
February 18 - Presidents' Day (No School)
February 21 - Happy Birthday, Mandy Westbrook! (PPCD Teacher)
February 21 - Regional Science Fair
February 25 - March 1 - East Elementary Read-A- Thon
February 28 - Family Health Night at East Elementary (6:00-7:30)
Student Council
Students in fifth grade who are interested in running for an officer position will be able to pick up an application packet in the 4th/5th grade neighborhood starting tomorrow. The application process will include:
- Student Application (with parent/guardian signature)
- Leadership Essay (1 page)
- Speech (less than 2 minutes) to be recorded for student viewing/voting
- (1) Campaign Poster
Additional information is provided in the application packet.
We look forward to establishing a strong organization of student leaders who will lead the way for our East Elementary Pirates!
Family Science Night - Jan. 15
Some of the exciting events for the evening include:
- Erupting volcanoes
- Force & motion experiments on the slide
- Science Spectrum inflatable Planetarium Bubble
- Making Oobleck
- Science tool exploration stations
- Science Spectrum Fire & Ice Show
Additionally, the East students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade who are participating in the Science Fair will have their projects on display!
We hope to see you next Tuesday, January 15, at 6:00 PM!
Middle-of-Year MAP Testing
The test, which is developed by NWEA, provides a measure of a student's mastery of content in math, reading, and in science (for grades 3-5 only). The purpose of the assessment is to allow teachers to more purposefully target the individual needs of each child. Once a child is given a RIT (Ready for Instruction Today) score in different categories within a subject, teachers can use the data provided by the system to tailor lessons and interventions to close gaps and extend learning!
It is also important to note that the test is "adaptive," determining a question path based on correct or incorrect responses from the child. Because of this feature, a child will get relatively the same number of questions right as they get wrong...and that's great! The very intuitive system is like our own "Goldilocks" of sorts, giving us the "just right" score for each student. Please tell your children that they should not get discouraged if the test is getting harder as they go - that's proof that they are doing great!
Over the Christmas break, I spent some time reviewing the research of John Hattie regarding the most effective procedures and initiatives in education. In regards to parental involvement, Hattie explains that the most impactful work parents can do is to be involved in setting challenging, yet attainable, goals with their children in regards to academic achievement. More than reading daily, helping your child with homework, or attending family involvement events at school, having conversations with your child about their educational performance and setting targets for their achievement is the MOST impactful thing you can do! It is important to note that phrases such as ‘do your best’ or ‘work hard’ do not have a measurable impact on achievement; rather the more specific goal is what does the trick (i.e.: a RIT score of 185 on the Reading assessment for a middle-of-year third grade student)!
Our teachers have done a great job working with each child to review their MAP scores from the Beginning-of-Year (BOY) assessment and to select an appropriate goal for this upcoming administration. Based on what we've learned about best practices, we want you to be empowered to have these goal-setting conversations with your children, too!
On Monday, you will receive a print-out of your child's "Student Progress Report" from the first assessment. The Beginning-of-Year window this fall was September 12 through October 2, so note that these scores were one of the first data points we had in regards to your child. This score report can serve as a great "jumping off" point as you discuss the upcoming assessment with your child. Additionally, you can save this report to compare it to the Middle-of-Year report you'll receive around the middle of February...and celebrate with your child when they accomplish the goals you’ve set together as a team!
Below, you will find a table of national "norms" for each subject and grade level. This will help you gain a better understanding of the scoring process. As you will see, the scores for each subject are all part of one large continuum, helping you to analyze your child's score and determine if they are right on track, perhaps a little ahead or their peers, or in need some additional assistance to get caught up to grade-level. Please keep in mind that the scores you are receiving are the Beginning-of-Year scores from early this year; these should be compared to the appropriate column in the table, noting the Beginning-Of-Year data point for the grade level.
Being nationally normed, the MAP tests give us a few different data points - the individual child's score, the district's average score for that grade and subject, as well as the national average score. This information will also help you to determine what a realistic goal for your child could be as they embark on middle-of-year testing later this week!
It is important that our students give their very best effort on the MAP assessments each time they are given. The data we gather is not used as a grade in any form or fashion, rather it helps us to differentiate instruction and intervention programs to meet the very specific needs of each child. If a student does not give us their best effort, they aren't giving us the best data about their needs. We need them to "help us help you" and put those brains to work to show us what they already know so that we can make a plan to grow them even further!
Thank you for partnering with us as we help our students understand how important these assessments are. We want each Pirate to know that giving us their very best effort will mean that our teachers can do the very best job to know their individual needs and provide lessons and activities they need!
Local Author Visit - Denay Hooks
Denay's daughter, Hannah, attends North Elementary where she is part of the Life Skills program. Hannah has Rett Syndrome, a rare neurological condition caused by a mutation on the X chromosome.
East Elementary is blessed to house two very special programs - PPCD and Life Skills. The PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) program serves to meet the needs of young children with disabilities who require additional services. Similarly, the Life Skills program serves those students who require extensive academic and functional support in grades K-5.
As we establish a compassionate and accepting campus culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique, we yearn to teach our students about the different abilities, talents, and passions that make their friends special. When Mrs. Hooks visits our campus later this month, she'll share Hannah's story and help our Pirates understand the many ways in which they can be a good friend to students like Hannah and our incredible kiddos here on campus. By increasing awareness about individuals with disabilities, we can further develop exceptional citizens right here at East Elementary!
You can learn more about Denay Hooks and "The Adventures of Bug and Boo" by visiting her website here: https://www.theadventuresofbugandboo.com/
Additionally, you can learn more about Rett Syndrome by visiting: https://www.rettsyndrome.org/, a website focused on funding research initiatives and empowering families who have loved ones who are diagnosed with Rett Syndrome.
Speak Up! - Technology Survey
Lubbock-Cooper would love to hear from you as part of our Speak Up program participation! As we make plans to move forward with technology integration in our district, information from parents and community stakeholders is a big piece of determining next steps! LCISD has a goal of getting feedback from at least 50% of our Pirate families.
To access the survey, click here:
https://speakup.tomorrow.org/ChooseQuestionSet.aspx
Select the appropriate role (Parent or Community Member) from the drop-down menu; the survey is also available in Spanish should you prefer to utilize that option. You will be prompted to enter the zip code for our campus (79423). Then, you'll be asked to complete the comprehensive survey. This survey is open until January 31, 2019.
East Elementary FAST PASS
At any time during regular business hours, parents may stop in the office to request their "Fast Pass" set of visitor passes for the following events:
- Christmas Party
- Valentine's Party
- Awards Ceremony
- Field Trip
- Olympic Day
On these special event days, a "Fast Pass" will serve two purposes: ensuring the safety of our students while also providing more convenient and efficient access for our parents. A dedicated line will be provided on these busy days so that parents can quickly move through the sign-in station and get quicker access to the fun!
In order to request a "Fast Pass," parents must have run their ID through the Raptor system at East Elementary this school year. Unfortunately, the Raptor systems within LCISD are not tied together, so each campus must run the ID through their own system. The process must be completed once each school year. Those parents who have already processed their ID this year will be quickly verified in the front office.
We hope to see you soon!
East Elementary Family 'Remind' Account
Please join our East Elementary Family Remind group by following the directions below!