STAR Testing
May 6 - 10
We will begin STAR testing the week of May 6th. Fifth graders test every day, even Friday. The STAR scores benefit me as a teacher in that they validate my teaching skills, while also revealing areas I might improve. The STAR scores benefit our school because they determine our API score, and allow Solana Santa Fe to be competitive with the other schools in the area. All that said this can be an extremely stressful week for the students. The students need to be assured that we only expect their best effort. I have included some tips for you and your child in order to make this a successful week.
The first thing you need to do is be sure your child arrives, on time, everyday. If they are late, they will have to wait in the office until testing is over for the day and then make-up the test another time. Children who have to do make-up testing tend to perform poorly compared to their peers. We will be testing every morning starting at 8:30.
Children perform better after a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast. Children ages 8 – 12 should get 9 to 10 hours of sleep. An extra hour of sleep significantly improves memory, attention span, and learning skills. Also a healthy breakfast, that includes protein, should be part of their morning routine. You may want to send water to school with your child. A hydrated brain works better! These are simple ways that have been proven to improve test scores.
One last easy way to help your child is a simple dialogue. Each morning before school wish them good luck on their test, remind them you love them, and only expect their best effort. Then upon arriving home in the afternoon, ask them about their test and how they feel they did. This sounds easy and unrelated, but who am I to argue with the research?
During testing week, I cannot have any volunteers in the classroom, and our support classes are cancelled. Therefore, all volunteers have the week off. On Friday afternoon, we will have a sundae party to celebrate our hard work and efforts.
Thank you in advance for your help during this stressful week. I want our students to do their best and I couldn’t do it without your support. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Remember!
- Arrive at school each and every day – on time
- Eat a healthy breakfast full of protein, not sugar
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Bring a book to school to read if they finish the test before the others.