Austinville Elementary
April 6 - 10 News
Spring TESTING Begins!
English as a Second Language Students Tested on ACCESS
Decatur City Schools' ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers have been conducting testing during April using the ACCESS test. Austinville's ACCESS testing is almost completed! The ACCESS evaluates each child’s level of English in the following four areas: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The ACCESS test provides a standardized measure of academic language for ELL (English Language Learner) students throughout the state of Alabama and other states. With this information, teachers are able to monitor the individual progress of an ESL student each year.
Students were divided by grade and by level of English and given the four individual tests. This kept the sessions from becoming too demanding on students. The Listening test takes twenty-five minutes, the Speaking exam is ten to twenty minutes, the Reading is thirty-five minutes, and the Writing is sixty minutes. Kindergarten students took the exam individually. Students have worked very hard throughout the school year to improve their English, both academically and socially. Ms. Hales and the teachers are very proud of their progress!
First Grade Visits "Let's Pretend Hospital"
First grade visited Calhoun Community College's "Let's Pretend Hospital". Mrs. Delecia Bell, Mrs. Heather Eledge, Mrs. Sophie Gillette, and Mrs. Felicia Woodruff escorted sixty-seven students to this yearly event on Thursday. Students rotated through learning stations hoping to put them at ease during visits to the hospital. Discussions about healthy eating and safety keep students informed. Activities such as calling 911 and getting X-rays made help to make students less afraid if there is an emergency. Students were also shown what a typical emergency room and operating room looks like. The special treat of the trip was the chance to sit in an ambulance!
Parenting Coordinator, LaToya Brown Shares Tips for Parents
To assure your child's success on testing days:
- Make sure your children have eaten well on test days.
- Help your children by encouraging a good night’s rest before exams.
- Make the morning of test days pleasant! Stress will impair your child’s ability to perform their best.
- Remind your children to dress comfortably, perhaps in layers, so that they are able to adjust to the temperature in the room.
- Ensure that your children make it to school on time (7:45) so that they will have ample time to settle in and relax before the test begins.
- Don’t schedule dental or doctor appointments for testing days.
- Don’t be anxious about your children’s test scores. Although it is important to let them know that the tests should be taken seriously, it is also important not to increase test-taking anxiety.
- Don’t underestimate your influence on your children. Taking an interest in what they are doing at school and helping them prepare for tests will certainly have a positive impact on them.
Mrs. Henderson Communicates 10 Testing Tips to Students
In her role as guidance counselor, Mrs. Henderson addresses the topic of testing each year with students. Austinville's goal has always been to make the students comfortable with testing. The following strategies are ones the teachers have shared with students.
- Follow test directions exactly.
- Read the whole question before looking at the answer choices.
- Answer the easy questions first; don’t spend too much time on any one question. When skipping a question, remember to SKIP THAT NUMBER on the answer sheet.
- Anticipate the answer when you read the question.
- Read all the answer choices.
- If your answer is one of the choices, bubble it in and move on.
- If your answer is not one of the choices, cross out the answers you know are wrong; this will narrow your choices and make it more likely that you will pick the right one.
- For reading comprehension sections: scan the questions before you read the passage.
- Identify key words and underline them. This will help you focus on the most important aspects of the question.
- Keep a positive attitude throughout the whole test, and try to stay calm. If you start to feel nervous, take a few deep breaths to relax.
Fourth and Fifth Grade Writers Practicing for Upcoming Test
She said, "The ability to focus and stay on topic along with keeping one eye on the clock are reminders to help with this assessment. Students have been given strategies and now it is up to them to put them into practice in their writing."
In an effort to inspire her students, Mrs. Hayes has shared this quote from Benjamin Franklin, "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
Artistic Pre-K Visors
Decatur Youth Symphony Entertains Students
Spring is Arriving at Austinville
All About Austinville
Mark Your Calendar!
April
- 14 - Pre-K Field Trip to Cook's Museum
- 14 - ACT Aspire Reading Test
- 15 - ACT Aspire Math Test
- 15 - Relay Recess/Field Day T-Shirt Orders Due
- 16 - ACT Aspire Writing and Science Test for 4th & 5th Grades
- 17 - Spring Holiday - School is Closed
- 21, 22, 23, & 24 - STAR Testing for Grades 3, 4 & 5
- 22 - Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration
- 23 - Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration
- 23 - Progress Reports Go Home
- 30 - Pre-K Program
- 28 - Middle School Tours
- 29 - Middle School Tours
- 29 - Relay Recess/Field Day Shirts Delivered
May
- 1 - Relay Recess
- 6 - Sweet Potato Money Due
- 8 - Sweet Potato Delivery
- 8 - Field Day and Knowledge Jamboree
- 11 - Half Price Book Fair
- 12 - Half Price Book Fair
- 18 - Awards Day
- 19 - Pre-K Graduation
- 19 - Fifth Grade Graduation
- 20 - Awards Day
- 21 - DVD's Delivered to Fifth Grade Students
- 22 - Last Day of School - Students Released at Noon