Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Home of the Little Giants February 9, 2018
Principal's Message
Greetings from the Principal's Office
It has been another busy week at JGKA! Students and teachers have been working very hard to work on skills that will help our students grow both academically and socially.
I spent some time in a classroom this week, and watched as students learned about subtraction. I was impressed by the teacher's approach to teaching this concept, but more impressed by the students' ability to grab onto this challenging concept. Students used magic subtraction sticks to take away counters, and even came up with their "take away" stories. Students then reflected on whether they thought it was easier to add or subtract. One student shared with his partner, "I like taking things away!" Your children are quite the thinkers!
On Wednesday, February 14th we will fill our school and hearts with Grandparent love! Grandparents are invited to join us for a special lunch, and Valentine activities (see photo below). Students are invited to wear dress code or better that day. This means they may dress up in dresses or dress clothes. No jeans or tshirts, please. You should have seen a pink RSVP come up yesterday with your child. If their grandparent(s) will be purchasing a school lunch, we need to have that form completed and returned to school Monday.
I hope you have a restful weekend!
Love,
Mrs. Hansell
mClass Testing Data - Sharing Our Results
In addition to our hard work in class, teachers are also working hard to monitor our student data. We just finished our mClass testing. These tests measure a child's knowledge of their letters, sounds, and ability to decode words. They are also tested on how accurately they can read text and answer questions about what they read.
Our School Goal
In the beginning of the year, I shared that student success is our number one priority. In order to ensure that all children grow to their fullest potential, we have set our learning goals high! By the end of the year, our school goal is that our students are able to use reading strategies to to be good readers. This means they will have mastered early reading skills such as: letters and sounds, sounding out words, and sight words. They will also be able to read and understand grade-level text.
In the area of early reading skills (sounds and letters/decoding skills) we began at 47%. During our mid-year assessment our students scored 61% We still have 24% to grow. We will continue to work on these things each day, but you can help, too! At home, take time to practice letters and the sounds they make. Have your child sound out words as often as you can.
In the area of reading accuracy and comprehension, we went from 30% to 26%. This sounds like we dropped, but in actuality the test targets grow. To be proficient at the beginning of the year, students only had to be able to demonstrate reading behaviors: indicate title, 1:1 word matching, left to right directionality when reading, follow along down a page as they read, read a pattern, use pictures to support comprehension. To be proficient at the middle of the year, students have to be able to accurately read and answer questions at a level B. While it appears we didn't meet our goals, since the target moves a couple levels, we did have a lot of growth. In the beginning we started with 9 students (2%) reading at a level A or higher. During this round of testing, 216 students (52%) read at a level A or higher. (We have 103 students that were a level A, that were REALLY close to meeting their goal.) We noticed that many of our students read accurately, but they could not retell what they read about. We will keep working on this at school, but please practice reading at home, too! When you read with your child at home, stop as you read and ask your child some questions. Some questions you can ask: Who is the main character? Why is the main character doing that? Can you look at the picture on the page and tell me about it? What is happening in the picture? What happens next? After reading, ask your child if they can retell the beginning, middle, and end.
Reading is such an important skill. Together we can shape our children into GOOD READERS!!!
Samples
Here is a sample of the level of text they are expected to read by the end of the year. This is a Level C passage.
Here are some ways you can help your child meet this goal.
Celebrating Mighty Accomplishments!
The Scholars won for TRC growth. They grew the amount of students reading leveled text from 2% to 67%.
- The Explorers won for Dibels growth. They grew their students by 20%.
Kindergarten Roundup
To register a child, you will need to provide the following information:
- Student’s birth certificate
- Record of immunizations
- Proof of residency
IDOE guidelines state a child must be 5 years of age by August 1 of the current year to enroll in Kindergarten. Perry Township Schools’ waiver process allows parents to enroll students who turn 5 years of age before September 1 of the current year.
Planning for Cold Weather
Our teachers follow strict guidelines in determining if classes can go outside. They use these guidelines and their good judgement to make the best decisions for our students. As always, the safety of our children is our number one priority.
Important Announcement Regarding Make-Up Day
All Perry Township schools will be in session on Monday, February 19, Presidents Day, due to the inclement weather on Friday, January 12.
New Tier Bus Schedule: 2018-2019
2018 Choice Application Information & Changes
The choice application period for the 2018-2019 school year will be open January 29, 2018 through February 23, 2018. Application timelines were altered this year in order to confirm transportation tiers for the 2018-2019 school year so that parents can make informed decisions. Another important change for the 2018-2019, is the offering of a very limited choice application pilot (20 spots) for incoming Kindergarten students per Kindergarten Academy. This limited choice pilot for Kindergarten will not include transportation. In order to process these incoming Kindergarten limited choice applications, the student must be registered for Kindergarten at their home Kindergarten Academy. Applications and instructions will be available through our website under the “For Parents” tab as well as each elementary school. Please read the instructions and complete the application as directed.
2018 Elementary Music Festival
The 41st Elementary Music Festival will be held at the Southport High School Fieldhouse on Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $1 for 6th Grade students and older. Children in 5th Grade and younger are free. Tickets can be purchased at your school through the morning of March 8th or the evening of at the door. A shuttle bus will run regularly beginning at 6:00 PM from Homecroft Elementary, located at 1551 East Southview Drive.
Perry Township Preschool Registration Open
Are you looking for quality preschool for your 3 or 4 year old? Perry Township has its own full day preschool program for students in our district. Weekly tuition is $160 and includes before and after care. Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year is now open. Call 789-3900 for more information or to schedule a tour.
What's going on around the community?
What’s Happening at the Southport Library
Family Game Day:
Saturday, February 3, 12:00-4:00pm
- Families and children of all ages are invited to drop in anytime between 12:00-4:00 to make new friends while playing board games or solving puzzles.
Love Your Library: CEO’s 2018 Tour
Tuesday, February 6, 6:00pm
- Individuals of all ages are invited to meet Library CEO Jackie Nytes as part of her annual visits to all IndyPL locations. Learn about trends and activities throughout the Library system, and share thoughts about how the Library can better serve patrons' needs in an informal and conversational setting.
Lego Club: All Ages:
Saturday, February 10, 2:00-4:00pm
- Families and children ages 2 and older are invited to drop in any time between 2:00-4:00 to learn to play and play to learn using Lego bricks and more. Lego bricks, Duplo bricks, gears and bristle blocks will be provided.
Perry Township Youth Co-ed Volleyball
Registration for 2018 Season
- Grades 3-8
- COST $75 (3rd child and on are free)
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN: perrytownshipvballinc@yahoo.com
- Last Day to register online will be 2/16/18
Practice begins the week of March 5 and season will run through April
QUESTIONS: See Website or email perrytownshipvballincl@yahoo.com
Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Website: http://www.perryschools.org/jk/
Location: 5225 Gray Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: (317) 782-2240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JGKALittleGiants/
Twitter: @JGKAPrincipal