CDS Middle School
Director's Newsletter
March 2nd, 2018
From the Director
It was a short but busy week at CDS Middle School as Term 3 came to a close. It's hard to believe that March is already here and that Term 4 begins on Monday!
CDS teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators engaged in meaningful professional development during our recent in-service day. We were fortunate to have invited an expert in curriculum design to visit CDS and support our growth as educators. At CDS, we strive to be a true Community of learners whether students, teachers, or parents. The focus of our in-service was on designing authentic learning experiences for students. This will help us ensure they're prepared to meet the demands of life and work in the 21st century.
This Saturday, our Girls Volleyball team is competing at GSIS. Unfortunately our Table Tennis jamboree was canceled. The Boys Volleyball team was meant to compete at GSIS as well---but too many team members are already busy at Seoul Foreign School participating in the South Korea Youth Model United Nations (SKYMUN V).
We begin Term 4 with March Music in our Schools Month and our Term 4 Assembly. We are also happy to announce that 8 new students will join our Middle School on March 5th!
I hope all of you enjoy the long weekend!
How to Speak with Your Child about MAP Growth Test Results
Earlier this week we sent your children home with their MAP Progress reports. I hope you've been able to take some time since then to speak with your child about their academic growth.
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, conversation about grades and MAP scores will be most effective if the focus is centered on progress rather than achievement. "Why do you think your growth in reading has dropped since September?" is a much more helpful question than "Why are your reading scores so low/ or lower than average?"
At CDS MS, we strive to create a culture where students value personal growth more than achieving the highest letter grade or RIT score. We know that for students to reach their potential, they need to have confidence and take risks with their learning.
If the focus on grades and achievement is too great, students are less likely to engage in challenging work because they're afraid they will fail. This applies to both high achieving and struggling learners.
It is my hope that we can work together as a school and parent community to share helpful messages with our students that encourage confidence and support growth.
If you would like to better understand the MAP Growth assessments, please click here for information in Korean, English, Spanish, and Chinese.
- Mr. Scoville
Week 1: Music in our School: Perform music somewhere around the school for others to enjoy!
Prepare a piece of music, song, or dance to share somewhere around the school. Some great places to perform include: the Cafeteria or the Middle School Lounge. You are welcome to perform during Lunch, Lab, before school or after school (until 4:15). Or, incorporate a musical performance into an assignment for this week. If you need any equipment (music stand, speaker, microphone, etc.), please talk with Ms. Van Liew the day before and she can help you prepare for your performance.
- Ms. Van Liew
Upcoming Events
3/5 - Term 4 Begins
3/5 - Music in Our Schools Month Begins
3/8 - Term 4 Assembly
3/13 - Spring CC Introduction
3/15 -16 Spring Book Fair
3/19 - 3/23 - Boys & Girls Basketball Team Orientation Week
3/22 - Parent Information Session - Intro to Project Based Learning (PBL) Part II
Cheongna Dalton School
Email: bscoville@daltonschool.kr
Website: http://cdsmiddleschool.weebly.com/
Location: Cheongna Dalton Foreign School, Incheon, South Korea
Phone: 82 32-563-0523 (302)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDSMiddle/community/