Turrill Tribune
For the week of May 6-10
Mission Statement
- Lapeer Community Schools is a dynamic community organization embracing our students with a quality learning environment, developing independent and confident learners for the future.
We are "Turrill Tough"
Email: rdowney@lapeerschools.org
Website: turrill.lapeerschools.org
Location: 785 S Elm St, Lapeer, MI, United States
Phone: (810) 667-2438
Twitter: @TESPrincipalD
#TurrillTough means...
We think that each one of us is strong individually but we are even stronger when we work together.
Taking the time to acknowledge the kind deeds of others is...
...being Turrill Tough!!
Parent Drop off and PickUp Reminders
- Please remain in your car and have your children enter/exit on the side nearest the sidewalk.
- Have your children unbuckle and prepare for exiting your car as you pull forward to the drop off
- Please pull forward as far as you can
- Merge to the pass through lane after dropping off or picking up your children
- If you have to exit your vehicle please use a parking space
Vision Statement
Excellence in all we do for our students, our schools and our community through
- Continuous improvement;
- Diligent effort; and
- Innovative design
Important Times
Office Hours during the School Year:
8:15 am -- Office opens8:35 am -- Student supervision outside of school begins (please do not leave your child unsupervised)
8:40 am -- Building opens; Students enter the building (breakfast available in the classrooms)
8:44 am -- School day begins
3:40 pm -- End of the school day
4:15 pm -- Office closes
What's Up this Week?
Monday, May 6 -
- Priority Committee Meeting at 6:00 at Zemmer (Planning for Bond Proposal) and is open to anyone interested
Tuesday, May 7 -
- Tripp 3rd Grade Field Trip to Skinner Lake
- Truancy/Delinquency program with Sara Evans after school
Wednesday, May 8 -
- 4th Grade M-STEP
- TAG before school
- Baxter 3rd Grade Field Trip to Skinner Lake
- 5th Grade Family Life Parent Preview at 6:00 at Rolland/Warner
Thursday, May 9 -
- 4th Grade M-STEP
Friday, May 10 -
CI Field Trip to Meijers
I'll be out of district for daughter's graduation from FSU! One down, two to go!!
Priority Committee Meeting (Planning for the Bond Proposal)
On May 6, 2019, Lapeer Community Schools will host an introductory Priority Committee meeting at 6 p.m. in the Zemmer Cafeteria. Attendees at the meeting will be presented with information regarding the District’s 2019 bond proposal and how they can be a part of the preliminary planning process throughout the spring. The meeting is open to anyone interested in being a part of the process.
At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees will be able to choose to be a member of one of four Priority Committees, tasked with identifying the top 10 priorities within a specific area of the bond proposal. Each Priority Committee will be chaired by members of the District’s administrative team and may include teachers, support staff and community members.
The Priority Committees are:
- 1-4 Concept (Lapeer Elementary Campus)
- 5-6 Campus Concept
- STEAM Center (LHS)
- Performing Arts Center (LHS)
While each committee is expected to compile a list of priorities, they may take differing approaches to compiling information to identify the desires of the group. Committees may meet in person, set-up online meetings, take site visits, participate in e-mail threads, conference calls, etc. The goal is to get as much feedback as possible in order to provide guidance throughout the process.
Monday, May 6, 2019, 06:00 PM
Zemmer Middle School, West Oregon Street, Lapeer, MI, USA
PARENT CORNER
M-STEP Testing for 3rd-5th Grade in April & May
We all want your child’s state assessment experience to be as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Your positive outlook and support going into these assessments also will influence your child’s experience. Ensuring your child has adequate rest and is present for testing will help us administer the appropriate tests in a timely manner.
Remember, testing is a part of learning. State assessment results do not impact student grades. They are designed to provide information on student knowledge and ability to be career- and college-ready upon graduation. Schools and district use the results for curriculum planning and school improvement initiatives that benefit all students.
What is M-STEP and why is Michigan using it?
M-STEP is an online “summative” test, meaning that it is administered once a year to measure students’ progress toward mastering Michigan’s rigorous, grade-level content standards. State standards broadly outline what students need to know and be able to do in each subject and grade level to be career- and college-ready upon high school graduation.
Why does this test matter for my child?
M-STEP is designed to help parents understand how their child is progressing toward career- and college-readiness. It is also a tool to help parents understand where their child needs more support or additional challenges.
What will my child experience during M-STEP testing?
M-STEP is an online test that uses various types of questions to assess real-world skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving. M-STEP tests for English language arts and mathematics use Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) for students in grades 3 through 7. CAT adjusts the difficulty of grade-level questions throughout the assessment based on the student’s responses. If a student answers a question correctly, the next question will be harder; if a student answers incorrectly, the next question will be easier.
I’m concerned that my child spends too much time being stressed out by testing.
Depending on their grade level, students will spend no more than 4-8 hours taking state assessments. This represents less than one percent of the district’s annual instructional time. Plus, new innovations like online testing and computer adaptive testing (CAT) give students a more personalized experience. CAT customizes the questions based on your child’s responses. This means that your child stays engaged and challenged, but is not likely to be overwhelmed.
When can I expect to see results from the 2019 M-STEP?
Preliminary student results on machine-scored questions will be available to schools within 48 hours after a student completes all parts of a subject area. Final results include hand-scored test items; these should be released to schools just prior to the beginning of the next school year. Districts will also receive M-STEP parent reports that will be distributed to families. Student scores are communicated to parents through four achievement levels that indicate if the child is proficient for the subject and grade level.
How can I support my student in being more successful on the M-STEP?
The best preparation for M-STEP comes through classroom instruction and coursework aligned with state standards throughout the year. Test questions are developed by Michigan educators to reflect what students are supposed to know and be able to do in the classroom, so there is no need to cram for M-STEP. For added support, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has posted testing tutorials, practice sessions, and helpful tips at www.michigan.gov/mstep. Using these tools before test days might ease some students’ anxiety around testing and boost their confidence.How Can I Help at Home?
To help familiarize and prepare students to take state assessments, students have access to online M-STEP sample test item sets and tools.
Online Practice for M-STEP ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies
(http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-22709_70117-350540--,00.html)
The online Sample Item Sets are a select group of test items in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies that encompass different item types, such as multiple choice, constructed response, and various kinds of technology-enhanced items. These sets provide students, teachers, and parents with practice in solving grade-level and content-specific test items aligned to Michigan's academic content standards.
There are two ways to get to the online Sample Item Sets.
1. Anyone can access the Sample Item Sets through the Chrome browser at https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/.
2. Schools that have installed the updated INSIGHT software can access the Sample Item Sets by opening INSIGHT.
The directions to access the sample items are the same for both methods.
a) Click on M-STEP on the left side of the window
b) Select "Online Tools Training"
c) Select "Sample Item Sets"
d) Select the grade
e) Select the content area
f) Login with the Username and Password provided to all users on the login screen