Straight from Station
A few back to school updates
Upcoming September Dates
September 15- Board of Education Meeting, 7pm at District Office
September 15- Virtual PTO Meeting, 7pm
September 16- In Service Day, No School
September 17- Virtual Back to School Night, 6:30pm
Virtual Back to School Night- September 17
We invite you to attend our Back to School Night on September 17 starting at 6:30pm! This evening is intended to provide you with a glimpse of the life of your child at Station, a chance to meet your child’s teachers, learn more about the curriculum and learn more about your child’s daily schedule.
You will have a chance to meet with your child's teachers and learn about their classes by following their schedule during the evening program. Each of the presentations will be 8 minutes long with a 2 minute 'passing period.' During the 8 minute Lunch break, you will have the opportunity to meet Station's counselors and learn how they meet the needs of our students.
In order for you to know where to "go" during the evening, please be on the lookout for an email that will break down your child's 8 period schedule. This will include zoom links for every period.
Virtual PTO Meeting
Join the PTO for their next virtual meeting on September 15th at 7pm. Please fill out this survey ahead of time for any questions you may have: PTO Survey
September 15th Zoom Link: https://barrington220.zoom.us/j/88624227984
Meeting ID: 886 2422 7984
Academic Textbook/Materials Pick Up
Materials were picked up during the week of August 31st. If you were not able to make the scheduled times, please feel free to call Station’s front office at 847-756-6400 to arrange a pick up.
Academic Support Time
Short Version : On your student schedules, you may have seen class assignments titled "Academic Support". This is not a required class for students. There is no need to look for Zoom sessions, or worry about attendance for that offering. The school day includes (and only includes) periods 1-8.
Longer Version (if you're interested) : The Academic Support time in the afternoon will provide a vital function to the success of our middle school students in one of three ways.
Some students will have weekly appointments with specialists, such as speech/language, occupational therapists, english language specialists, counselors, reading specialists, mentors, and more, during this time period.
Some other students will have intermittent appointments with their teachers for supplemental instruction and support during this time period. This could be with a group of other students, or on an individual basis in some cases.
The rest of the students will use this time to work on the classes that were "asynchronous" (teacher-speak for "not live on zoom") that day. The teachers will be available for drop in support during certain times of the afternoon, to ensure that students (and parents!) can get the help they need as they tackle the work of the day.
We will continue to put out communication on these points as they present themselves. We know that open communication will be key to the success of our combined efforts. Please don't be shy to communicate back, so we know how everything is going on your end. We are in this together!
MAP Testing
Hello Station Families!
This is a very long, BUT VERY IMPORTANT, message. I'm hoping you read it all, and take time to complete the survey at the end. Thanks ahead!!
First and foremost, thank you for making the start of the 20-21 school year, as positive as possible! Making learning meaningful "at a distance" is a challenge that we have all been handed together, and we appreciate the opportunity to take this on with you all. One, and all, we will have a newfound appreciation for "normal school" at the end of this shared journey. I can tell you, for sure, that we are all looking forward to this here at the school!
Now that we have wound our way through 7 months of atypical learning, it's vital that we take a moment to grasp how it's affected student learning. Under typical circumstances, we do a universal assessment in the areas of Reading and Math, for every student in Middle School, twice a year. Usually, we do this in November/December, and again in March. This year, we want to get an earlier benchmark in these areas, in order to better understand how each student is progressing, in a distance learning environment. Gathering this data will be essential to helping us to identify students who are on track, and students who may need a greater level of support; now and/or moving forward.
This year, we will start MAP Testing earlier than before, in late September, for all students at Station Campus. Because of the Covid-19 Pandemic and protocols, however, testing may look a bit different. Please take a look at the points, below, and then fill out the form (attached) to help us to create plans to coordinate testing as we need to, in the coming weeks. As with everything, in our current reality, we need to plan this with as much advance notice as possible, in order to keep true to local and state guidelines, pertaining to health/safety, so we want to ask that EVERY PARENT FILL OUT THE SURVEY BELOW, BY 9/16/20. Thanks, in advance, for filling out this brief survey to help us to prepare!
Important Points:
- All students, 6-8 will be tested during late September, or early October in Math and Reading.
- Students can test at home on their iPads, or in person, here at Station Campus.
- Families can elect to send students to Station Campus for the testing, or they can elect to let students take the test at home.
- Students will take tests in both Math and Reading on the same day.
- Students will be provided instructions, test sessions, and entry code through schoology message for both in-person and remote testing.
- Technology Assistance will be provided for students/parents, whether they choose the in person or the at home option for testing.
- Students attending, in person, for testing, will be required to submit a health screener (attached). Students who do not have a health screening document (or report positive symptoms) will not be allowed to enter Station Campus.
- Students in attendance will be assigned to classrooms with 10-15 students (spaced 6 feet from one another), or a larger space (Cafe/Gym/Library) with a greater number of students (still spaced 6 feet from one another).
- Students will be required to wear a mask (no neck gaiters or face shields) during the entire time they are on campus. The total time on campus will begin at 8:45-9:15 (Check-In) and end at 2:30 (Dismissal).
- Students who attend will need to bring their own lunch. Lunch will be consumed in the same location where students are taking their tests, thereby minimizing movement/cross contamination.
- If you choose to send your child to school for testing, you are required to notify the school team by 9/16/20 by filling out the form attached.
- If you need transportation for your child to attend school on the days of testing, this can be arranged in advance, from various elementary schools. Parents must notify the school team by 9/16/20 if you are in need of transportation by filling out the form attached.
More information will be coming in the next two weeks, pertaining to the MAP Testing. We will be building a more specific plan, based upon the responses we get from the survey. Please take time to fill it out regardless of what your situation/wishes may be. This will help us, a great deal, in terms of planning and creating a safe/functional environment for everyone, whether in person , or online.
Registration Link (ALL MUST COMPLETE)
Student Health Screener is also attached. This is ONLY necessary for students who will be attending in person for testing. If students are attending in person, they must fill this out on the day of attendance, and provide before entering the building. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER WITHOUT THIS FORM!!!
Thank you so much for reading this whole message, and filling out the necessary forms. Nothing gets done easy at this time, but the time we are spending on testing is essential to helping us to know how students are progressing. This is more important now, than ever, so thanks ahead of time for helping us to make it a meaningful experience for all!
Thanks and Be Well!
Chad May
Assistant Principal for Student Services
Barrington Middle School Station Campus
847-842-3632
Station Middle School
Location: 215 Eastern Avenue, Barrington, IL, USA
Phone: 8477566400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Station220/
Twitter: @StationMS220