Attea Flyers
School Newsletter for Parents
Week of October 1
Quite a lot has happened since the last newsletter, so this edition has plenty of celebratory updates as well as useful information about things coming up.
Curriculum Nights: A belated thank you to all of the parents that were able to join us on September 12 and 13. And an additional thanks to those who supported Builders Club's Bake Sale. Over $700 dollars was raised, and the funds will be directed toward a charity/worthy cause that the students will help determine.
PTA "No Stress" Fundraiser: Thank you as well to all of the families who supported the SP/AT PTA with contributions that will go toward support educational opportunities and experiences for students.
Caring and Connected Community Members: A combination of commemorative holidays and events allow us to emphasize for our students the value of being caring, connected community members.
- September 11 was recognized as the Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
- September 17 was Constitution Day and we recognized and celebrated the principles of freedom and liberty enshrined in the Constitution.
- Builders Club sponsored Peace Week in honor of the International Day of Peace on Friday Sept. 21.
- Sept. 28 was a High Five Friday with Officer Detloff from the Glenview Police Department, and it also was Drill Day, an opportunity for students to practice three safety drills.
- Sept. 29 was Builders Club's Day of Service, which involved building a Peace Path with Kindness Rocks (see the photo below).
More opportunities for promoting care, empathy, and service
- October is National Bullying Prevention Month and we'll share information and messages to students about being an Upstander
- October 1 is Recycling Day
- October 2 is National Custodial Workers Appreciation Day
- Character Counts Week and the Kids Care Food Drive is the week of October 22
- Red Ribbon Week - a campaign to promote healthy living - also is the week of October 22
All throughout the year we will continue to emphasize the pillars of character and provide student with opportunities to grow and engage as caring, connected community members.
Mid-term Grades: Please note that the mid-term of Trimester 1 is this Friday. While we encourage students and parents to monitor academic progress at all times, mid term grades represent a very useful marker for reflection and goal setting.
Parent-Teacher Conferences - Friday, October 19: Finally, on the horizon Parent-Teacher Conferences along with the Attea Book Fair. Information and instructions for signing up for conferences will be emailed later this week.
So many exciting things to share, and more to come... Have a great week.
Go Flyers!!
Attea's new Peace Path with "Kindness Rocks" painted by Attea students and staff. The Peace Path will continue to grow over time.
MAP Reports
In order to supplement the information in the report itself as well as the cover letter accompanying it, we figured it might be helpful to review the basic features of the MAP tests themselves.
MAP tests are adaptive tests of students' instructional level. They are not achievement tests in the strictest sense. So, we try to emphasize that students should not worry about getting each and every single question correct; that is simply not how this particular test works.
In a typical achievement test, each question has a point value toward a total. So, if students take a 100 question test, each wrong answer lowers their score by the point value of the question. MAP tests don't work that way. MAP tests don't count how many questions a student gets correct; they keep track of which questions a student correctly answers. In other words, the test is trying to determine a student's instructional level by giving a range of questions: some easier, some harder. The instructional level is the point at which students are able to answer questions correctly half of the time. MAP scores help all of us know which skills students have already mastered, which skills students should be working on now, and which skills students should work on next.
For those who may be interested in reading more, here are a few link:
NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) - creators of MAP tests
D34 Strategic Planning Invitation
Thanks to so many parents (750 of you!) for sharing your input and ideas in the strategic planning survey. Last week the Strategic Planning Team met for a full-day data retreat to carefully review the results of the stakeholder surveys, and to look at other data and information that gives a picture of the current state of the District.
The next step in the process is for facilitators from our strategic planning partner, CEC, to share some of that same information with all stakeholders, and get feedback on the work the Strategic Planning Team did in reviewing it.
Visit the Strategic Planning page of the website and click on the Data Retreat tab to view information on the status of the District and stakeholder hopes for the future. Then mark your calendar for one of the parent/community engagement sessions:
October 8, 6:00-7:15pm, Attea Cafeteria
October 11, 7:00-8:15pm, Springman Commons
Please bring friends and neighbors who don’t have children in District 34 schools - we are seeking input from our entire community.
Parent Education
Please come to the first D34 ParentConnect parent education program, “Children & Anxiety: Considerations for Mindful Parenting” on October 3 from 7-8:30pm at Attea Middle School (2500 Chestnut Avenue).
Renee Z. Dominguez, PhD, Executive Director and Robin Lake, MA, LCSW, Therapist & Outreach Educator from Family Service Center (FSC) will share strategies and skills for parents to use in moments of stress and anxiety.
Then, plan to attend one of the discussion groups, to learn, share, and connect with other parents who have similar questions and who face similar parenting challenges.
Facilitated by experts from FSC, parents will meet based on the age of your children so you can have relevant and focused conversations. Some topics will include normative developmental expectations, social-emotional learning, social media, coping with stress and pressure, preparing for the next developmental stage, mindfulness, evidence-based strategies to foster resilience and success for your children. FSC staff will provide mental wellness resources for parents.
Parents of children in PK-2 meet the first Thursday of the month; 3-5 parents meet the second Thursday; 6-8 parents meet the third Thursday (though schedules may change throughout the year). Morning sessions will be at the Park Center from 9:15-10:45am. Evening sessions will be at the District 34 Administration Building (1401 Greenwood Road) from 7:00-8:30pm. Here is the schedule:
- October 4 (PK-2), 11 (3-5), 18 (6-8)
- November 1, 8, 15
- December 6, 13, 20
- January 10, 17, 24
- February 7, 14, 21
- March 7, 14, 21
- April 4, 11, 18
- May 2, 9, 16
You are welcome to attend multiple sessions if you have children in more than one age group! No RSVP is required to attend - just come ready to learn and share.
Please, No Perfume at School:
In order to ensure a safe school environment, we’re asking students (and staff) to refrain from wearing perfumes and/or using any kind of perfume or body sprays at school. This is because of the sensitivity some people have to fragrances, which can cause allergic reactions or contribute to migraines. Parents, please help reinforce this safety measure.
Attea Middle School
Email: attea.website@glenview34.org
Website: https://at.glenview34.org/
Location: 2500 Chestnut Avenue, Glenview, IL, USA
Phone: 847-486-7700
Twitter: @AtteaSchool