1. Plan ahead to avoid last minute stress! Use time on Sundays to plan ahead for the week's events and assignments. Allow plenty of time to study or complete projects as needed!

2. Use visuals as reminders. Post notes in obvious places as reminders of things to complete as well as encouragement to make each day successful!

3. Keep those routines consistent. Maintain those well established routines that have been successful since the beginning of the school year. Homework times, bedtimes, and other routines should continue until the end of the school year.

4. Celebrate any successes that your child experiences! Avoid those long term rewards and find something to celebrate every day!

5. Build exercise and play into your day! As the weather improves, get outside (even if just for a short time) to enjoy the fresh air and time together!

(taken from Student Spring Fever? Tips to Stay Motivated in the Fourth Quarter, Educational Connections)

We have many exciting things planned for the coming weeks. Special performances, special events, and field trips will all be part of the end of the year excitement. However, we need to maintain our commitment to school-wide expectations and focus on learning! Together we can beat the spring fever and have an amazing last quarter to the school year!

Happy Spring!

Mr. Buckler

Hello, Knights. I hope everyone has had a much deserved two weeks off! We are geared up and ready to have a successful last quarter of the school year. The months of April and May just fly by!

Testing Update- ILEARN testing begins in April for our third, fourth, and fifth graders. There are two types of tests- Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) and Performance Task (PT). Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade will be taking ELA CAT and ELA PT (which has two segments). They will also be taking Math CAT and Math PT. Fourth grade will be taking a Science CAT and PT. Fifth grade will be taking a Social Studies assessment. Classroom teachers will be sending out specific dates for testing. Please encourage your child to get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before these assessments. Although we encourage the students to do their very best, we understand that they are far more than their test score. A famous quote from Albert Einstein sums up my feelings on standardized testing, “What is tested does count, but much of what counts cannot be tested.” We use these assessments to provide a snapshot of your learner as well as help us to know how our own curriculum and instruction can be developed to improve.

Safety Reminder- Please be careful when dropping off your student before school for honey grove or clubs. Remember, we have students and staff walking up to the building. If you are pulling around to the side of the building for a club, use the car rider lane instead of entering the parking lot. Drive slowly and stay alert behind the wheel. We want everyone to arrive safely to school. Thank you!

ARMOR Update- A big congratulations to our Knights in Shining ARMOR for being excellent leaders while modeling safety. The ARMOR trait we will be highlighting for the month of April will be the “O” in ARMOR- on task!

Thank you,

Mrs. Rollings

Happy Spring! I hope this finds you “relaxing and refreshing” as you enjoy Spring Break. Honestly, the fact that we are already in the month of April is shocking to me! March was a blur as it seemed to fly by. Disability Awareness was our focus, and not only did the students participate in lessons with Mrs. Howe, but also enjoyed presentations from individuals living with disabilities. How exciting to meet a former CGES student who is now a published children’s author!

With all things spring, please remember that it is also the official kick off of “testing season” for our kids. Unfortunately, many of our students struggle with test anxiety, and this is a rough time for that reason. With this in mind, please remind them that these scores are only a small part of who they are as a student. Testing is just one of the many tools that we use to better meet the needs of our students. I think as a parent, it is also important to remember this. There is SO much more to our kids than a test score.

This quarter, the focus is on friendship, conflict resolution/peer relationships and middle school readiness. If any of these topics seem of interest for your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out; I always try to accommodate parent requests as well. Also something to keep in mind, our Counseling and Mental Health Directors have been working diligently to put together an amazing collection of community resources for the 2nd Annual Mental Health Fair. This fair will be in the Vandy Gym at the high school. It’s free, and I promise you that you will not only walk away with some great information, but also freebies and door prizes! Let me know if you have questions.

Take Care,

Mrs. Taylor

Make note of these important dates for the month of April:

April 10 - School Resumes

April 12 - Early Release

April 17 - ILEARN testing begins (Grades 3-5)

April 19 - Early Release

April 21 - Boys & MVP's PTO Event at Rascals

April 25 - PTO Meeting

April 26 - Early Release

April 30 - Girls Day Out PTO Event