This Week at AES
5/8 - 5/12
Important Information
- Our last day with students is May 18th.
- We will have a closing day Breakfast on Friday, May 19th at 8:00 am. This closing breakfast and meeting is for all staff. If you would like to bring something for the breakfast, please sign up using this link: http://www.perfectpotluck.com/meals.php?t=TINW7474
- After breakfast, we will have a brief meeting and then you will need to have the closing checklist complete before leaving for the summer.
- The End of the Year checklist can now be found on the Google Drive
- The last few days of the school year will be nutty. Please check here to see a breakdown of the days.
- This year we will be rolling the Exploration Station to our neighborhoods on Monday evenings from 4 - 7 throughout the summer. If you are interested in working in June, please touch base with Caleb ASAP.
- We are in the process of setting up dates for next school year. You are welcome to review those dates here. We are working to get these dates in the Google Calendar. Please feel free to check out these dates on the Calendar dates file in the Google Drive to look ahead to next year. Be sure to click the 17-18 tab.
- Please keep May 9th from 3:15 - 4:15 clear on your calendar. Our teams will be working with teams from CHES on those afternoons. K, 2nd, and 4th will meet at AES and 1st, 3rd, and 5th will meet at CHES. Please leave as soon as possible to be able to make it to CHES on time. We will count the extra time toward closing day.
- Our final school wide assembly will be Thursday, May 18th. That morning please follow the normal procedure until 7:10. Keep students in the assigned classrooms until 7:15, at that time transition take them to their spots on the bleachers in the gym We will have a brief assembly.
- The schedule for the last day of school can be found here:
- Enjoy Jean Days for May.
- KPREP Testing is May 8 - 12. Please support our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students by wearing your favorite AES attire.
- Purple Cards end on May 17
- Schedules will be "normal" on Tuesday, May 16th and Wednesday May 17th.
#Best Instruction
Thank you Barb Rose and Abby Flake for sacrificing your mornings for our students.
#Best Opportunities
Thank you Scott Hardison for being a man of many talents and your willingness to serve our kids in many roles.
Best Environment
Thank you Lunch Super Heroes
Coach
For me MAP and KPREP testing gave us our chance to show what we know. I would become anxious during those testing sessions, pacing around the room or computer lab. My steps were full of anxiety and excitement. I wanted my kids to do well. As I gazed over their shoulders while they were working I would celebrate their correct work and my insides would tremble when they would click the wrong answer. It was painful to watch at times. "Were you not listening last Thursday when....." seemed to echo in my head each time a student made a silly error. Then there were the times that students were overwhelmed by the test. I knew it was too difficult and you could see terror in your kids eyes. I always felt the need to trade places with those kids.
As the KPREP Testing season begins, I want us to keep a few things in mind. First, this test (and no test for that matter) show us how well we have or have not done for our kids. Second, no test determines the worth of our kids. The students we serve are much more valuable than a novice, apprentice, proficient or distinguished label. And finally, please remember that this process is not fun, exciting, or engaging for our kids. I cannot think of any 9, 10, or 11 year olds who wake up and say......I want to take a 3 hour test today.
Please don't misinterpret what I am saying. Our kids and your work definitely have value regardless of our students' performance. However, if we are truly providing The Best for our kids.....their performance will take care of itself.
This week as KPREP kicks off, please take some extra energy to encourage our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Give them fist bumps, high 5's, and pats on the back. Show them your support. If you are a coach pacing the rooms, please know that I am proud of your efforts to provide the best for our kids. My measure of success for this testing season is totally based on our kids effort. If they give us their best, We will be proud of them.