What a packed month we have! This is always a fun time for us at Congaree. We are so excited that we will be having our Spring Book Fair and Special Olympics during the first week of April. Please help to support our students if you are able. We will also have a spring production of Aladdin, performed by our students. Please look for more details in the coming weeks.

Later in April we will take our End of Year Star tests in Reading and Math. These tests measure how much students have grown from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. They also provide us with another measurement of how students are performing on grade level work and give teachers valuable information on what areas students are strong in and need help with Reading and Math. They make adjustments to their teaching based on the Star information. We ask that you talk with your students each and every day about doing their absolute best in school. We also ask that you make sure that students are here at school on time, all day, every day. We have no time to waste with our learning.

Lex 2.5, one of our after school support programs will be ending on April 14, 2022. As we will be checking for how our students have performed on Star, we will be soon sending home invitations for our Summer Enrichment Program. Not all students will be invited, as space is limited. One of the purposes of our program is to maintain the momentum for learning and to reduce summer learning loss. Please be on the lookout for more information.

Finally, April 15th begins our official first day of Spring Break for students. We ask that you spend the week doing what makes you happy. Enjoy family, relax, rest, reflect, and recharge to finish the school year strong! Be safe in all that you do and thank you for choosing Congaree Elementary School for your child. A place where learning takes flight!

Respectfully,

Mr. Dickey

Standardized testing is almost here. We will begin testing on Tuesday, May 10th. Students in

grades 3, 4, and 5 will take several tests over a 2 week period. SC Ready is the test for English

Language Arts and Math. SC PASS is the test for Science and Social Studies. Each of these

tests measure a student’s understanding of the South Carolina standards for that subject.

Students take the ELA test over 2 days. The tests are not timed, but must be completed that day. Students may not have any electronic devices that can communicate, record, time, create images, or store images. The test administrator will collect all devices and return them after the test session is completed.

Parents should not schedule doctor’s appointments or any other out-of-school functions during testing. Your child’s attendance is important. Children tend to perform better when testing with their class, rather than on a make-up. Please ensure your child gets a good night’s rest and is at school on time. Encourage your child to do his/her best before leaving each morning.