What's Up at Whitney?
1/15/2016 Weekly Update
History in Our Time
Testing and Your Child
Last week I shared the district's second semester elementary testing schedule with you. There are so many tests: AIMSweb, Iowa, CogAt, AIR, Guided Reading, OGT, etc., etc. It's easy to become confused. Our Curriculum Director, Erin Green, has put together a document that will help you understand the tests we use, and the information we obtain from them. Click here to view that summary document.
Got Goals?
Semester is a good time to talk with your student(s) about goals. If you set goals back in August, now is a good time to review and refocus. If you didn't, it's not too late! Mr. Stacho shared with me a great "Report to Parents" article from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). It contains wonderful advice about how to focus and manage the process of goal setting. Students with well defined goals and supportive monitoring do well at school, and eventually, in life. Click here for direction in how to help your student(s) learn this valuable life skill.
Your Child's Reading Level
In last week's newsletter, I mentioned that grade cards for second quarter would contain information about your student's reading level. The guided reading level correlations that we use as a District are based upon the scale below. Please note that these levels come from Scholastic, which is what our guided reading system and assessment is built upon in Strongsville. However, you may find some other programs that use slightly different ranges. Because of this, teachers look at the child comprehensively to determine the “at, above, or below” level up to this point in the year. This checkbox of student’s level will again be on the 4th quarter report card. If you have any questions about the levels, guided reading, or report card marking, please contact your child’s teacher, the building principal, or Erin Green, Director of Curriculum, at 440 572-2016 or eringreen@scsmustangs.org
Scholastic “At Level” Guided Reading Ranges:
Grade K:- A-D (will start second semester)
Grade 1: Levels A-I
Grade 2: Levels E-N
Grade 3: Levels J-Q
Grade 4: Levels M-T
Grade 5: Levels Q-W
Grade 6: Levels T-Z
Hat Day
School spirit days strengthen the Whitney community by providing a common theme. Students get to share in the fun, along with staff. Thanks to all of you who help by keeping up with the spirit day calendar and encouraging your child to participate!
Best Wishes for Mrs. Trimper
PTA Fund Raiser
The Whitney PTA has been busy planning the annual Wing Ding Fund Raiser that will be held on Feb. 27th at Bilo's Bar and Grill. You can help. The idea is for each grade level to donate items that the PTA will use to build a raffle basket. They created a signup genius which will offer suggestions and also inform families about our event. A flier with that information will be distributed next week to all Whitney Families. Please click here for more information
Dates to Remember
January 2016
15th - Early Release Day - 2:30 dismissal
15th - Friday – Rockin’ at the Rec
18th - Monday – No School – Martin Luther King Day
21st - Raising Cyber-Conscious Kids - 7pm - SHS Little Theater
28th - Kindergarten Information Meeting - Muraski Gym
"The hard soil and four months of snow make the inhabitants of the northern temperate zone wiser and abler than the fellow who enjoys the fixed smile of the tropics. "
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
That's just a more eloquent way of saying the same thing my favorite old t-shirt said: "CLEVELAND - You gotta be tough!"
Newsletter Input
Email: jmartin@scsmustangs.org
Website: strongnet.org/Domain/806
Location: 20566 Albion Rd, Strongsville, OH 44136, United States
Phone: (440)268-5444