JBD FRIDAY FOCUS
September 20, 2019
VBCPS Grading Guidelines
Dear Parents,
Now that we are in full swing, many are wondering about grading. Virginia Beach City Public Schools has a Standards Based Grading Policy for grades K-5. This grading system is very different from the A, B, C, D, E or F system many of you grew up with. Because it is so different, it can be hard to understand and for some, it is hard to accept.
To explain the reasoning, we believe children need to be given the opportunities to truly master a concept through a balanced assessment system. This includes some traditional tests and quizzes, but also includes performance tasks which incorporate skills such as collaboration, communication, citizenship, critical thinking, and creativity. We refer to these skills as 'soft skills' or the 5 Cs. According to research, colleges and universities, as well as the modern work place, admissions offices and employers are looking for adults that can solve problems, search for answers, communicate effectively, and work in groups. Multiple choice tests and fill in the blank assessments are recall based, and rarely does the information stick. How many of us remember all of the facts we had to memorize to pass a test on the American Revolution or the Chemistry elements? If you do, that means meaningful experiences were provided along with the learning. Many will argue that memorization is key, especially when it comes to math facts and vocabulary. There is definitely some truth to that, but after awhile, once the basic facts are mastered, there needs to be a facet of computational fluency in which students can solve problems and use logic to get the next level. With vocabulary, students need to use context clues and connections to comprehend texts and become efficient writers. In essence, we are going deeper than the surface of memorization. It is the goal of Virginia Beach City Public Schools to enable students to grow academically, personally, and socially. A straight up letter grade truly cannot measure the skills of this depth. When skills and concepts are truly mastered, they stick. Real life, authentic experiences with opportunities to try and fail multiple times are factors in solidifying the learning.
Below is the grading scale and the definitions of each standard as stated in our school division guidelines. Please review these and if you have questions, please ask your child's teachers or feel free to contact me. This article is a nutshell version of all of the intricacies of Standards Based Grading. Frankly, it was much easier to average numbers and assign a letter grade, but in reality, that method did not really provide a fair assessment of a student's true abilities and their preparation for the real world.
CODES FOR MARKING STUDENT ACADEMIC PROGRESS
GRADES K-5
AP Advanced Proficient
P Proficient
DP Developing Proficiency
N Novice
NE Not Evaluated at this time
The AP - N codes should not be equated to an A-E grading scale.
Enjoy your weekend!
Mrs. Bianchi
Principal
NEXT WEEK AT DEY
Monday, Sept. 23:
- PEACE Spirit Day! Peace signs and Tie Die Day!
Tuesday, Sept. 24:
- PTA Tennis (Grades K-2) starts today! Tuesdays 9/24-10/29
Wednesday, Sept. 25:
- Room Parent Meeting 9:30 a.m. Cafeteria
- PTA Kindness Club starts today! 3 -4 p.m. Last Wednesday of each month
Thursday, Sept. 26:
- PTA Tennis (Grades 3-5) starts today! Thursdays 9/26-10/31
Friday, Sept. 27:
- Destination Imagination Information Night 6-7 p.m. JBD Cafeteria
ROOM PARENT MEETING
Room Liaison Orientation will take place on Wednesday, September 25 at 9:30am in the school cafeteria. All Room Liaisons are asked to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
PTA CORNER
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are so appreciative of your support for the PTA - thank you! Please see below for ways you and your students can be involved! And as always, if you'd like to volunteer or sit on a committee, please reach out to me. We love seeing new faces and welcome you to join us.
Lauren Kirkpatrick
JBD PTA President
jbdptapresident@gmail.com
REFLECTIONS:
Does your student enjoy art, music, or dance or have an interest in writing, producing films or taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing his or her inner artist with PTA Reflections! This year's theme "Look Within" calls for their own unique interpretation through the arts. Look over the guidelines and print out and entry form from our website today! Please carefully read over the rules for your category. Entries can be brought to school and dropped off in the office any time before the end of school on October 4th. We will celebrate the contestants' work on October 24th with a ceremony at JBD!
ROOM PARENT LIAISON ORIENTATION:
Attention all room parents! Orientation will take place on Wednesday, September 25th at 9:30am in the school cafeteria. All room liaisons are asked to attend.
MEMBERSHIP:
We are striving for 100% membership this year and we need your help! Membership envelopes will go home next week with your students. Please be on the look out for them in their backpacks and send them back to school along with $5! As always, we appreciate your support for and interest in PTA.
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH:
TERI MILLER: we applaud you for all that you do with teacher's appreciation and the PTA! Thank you Teri, we appreciate you!
THANK YOU PTA!
Dear PTA,
Thank you for all you do, the ways you help, and for the yummy treats and coffees in the teacher's lounge! We appreciate you!
Fondly,
JBD Teachers and Staff
HURRICANE DORIAN UPDATE
Please be advised that students will not be required to make up the instructional day lost during Hurricane Dorian. Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence has decided to waive this day for students by using time built in to the 181-day school calendar. To view the calendar, please visit vbschools.com.
PTA AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES STARTING SOON
- Kindness Club ( Grades 3-5) Starts Wednesday, 9/25 and meets the last Wednesday of each month
- Tennis: (Grades K-2) Starts Tuesday, 9/24 (6 weeks) 3-4 p.m. Pick up at VBTCC 9/24 - 10/29
- Tennis: (Grades 3-5) Starts Thursday 9/26 (6 weeks) 3-4 p.m. Pick up at VBTCC 9/26 - 10/31
- Art: (Grades K-2) Starts Monday, 9/30 (4 weeks) 9/30-10/28 NO class on 10/14
- Art: (Grades 3-5) Starts Tuesday, 10/1 (4 weeks) 10/1- 10/22
GIFTED CORNER
Sept. 30 (Mon.): All 5th graders will be screened by the gifted program. Results will be posted on Parent Portal/Parent Vue+ by mid-November, giving fresh scores to those already identified and information to possibly identify others WITH AN APPLICATION. Students scoring in the top 10% are highly encouraged to apply to the gifted program, if they are not already identified. Any child exhibiting gifted tendencies may apply as this screening evaluates only one aspect of gifted thinking; some students will perform better on the other tests.
Applications* are due Jan. 10, 2020, 4:00 PM. See the FAQs sheet that will come home with your child just prior to screening for more information.
Parent information nights: Friday, December 6th at ODS and a Middle School Options Night at JBD, Mon Nov. 18th, 6:00.
Mon. Nov 18, 6:00: JBDey cafeteria, “Middle School Options Night” for our 5th graders and their parents. Come hear Dey alum talk about the choices to help you choose the right program for you! Find out about gifted identification, Old Donation School, Plaza’s Middle Years Program (International Baccalaureate), Great Neck’s gifted program and VB Middle’s Art program.
Wed/Thurs. Nov. 20 -21, 6:30: Middle Years Program (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate Open House at Plaza Middle School for rising 6th graders. 3080 S Lynnhaven Rd.
COMING SOON
Sept. 30: 5th Grade gifted screening
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
John B. Dey Weekly Family Newsletter
Beth Bianchi
Proud Principal
Email: Elizabeth.Bianchi@vbschools.com
Location: John B Dey Elementary School, North Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Phone: 757-648-2440
Twitter: @JbdElem