Bulldog Weekly Update
January 30 - February 3
Monday Motivation
Notes from the Principal's Desk
Butler is the first school in the district to run an interim assessment of this kind. This means we are the pilot school for this initiative, and we are the pilot school for using formative to deliver a school-wide diagnostic. That puts Butler in the category of being a pioneer school--a school that takes calculated risks and works toward BIG rewards. We are a school that stands out from the crowd.
Our school is also about to wrap up ACCESS testing. Over 30% of our school (500+) is comprised of English Language Learners. We must understand the priority to educate English Language Learners with the same expectations for meeting grade level standards. Schools across America are expected to diversify significantly over the next ten years, with EL and first generation students attending schools in larger numbers than ever in American history. In 2015, there were 4.7 MILLION EL - identified students in public schools--nearly 10% of the K-12 enrolled. In 2020, that number was 5 MILLION. In 5 years, 300,000 more EL students joined public schools. There are currently 49M total students enrolled in American Public Schools.
These figures are meant for us to zoom out and zoom back in. The globalization of education and the need to know how to serve diverse populations in our classrooms are only increasing. As the data indicates, the future of this nation will be increasingly multi-lingual and multi-cultural. A big round of applause to our EL Coordinator, Deidre Coffey, and the ACCESS testing team, (and of course, the students), for churning out over 400 tests in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing over the course of this month. Thanks as well to those teachers and paras who are picking up the load elsewhere with classroom coverage and impromptu proctoring. Here are the stats for our school thus far:
Listening sessions 109/109 completed
Reading sessions 107/109 completed
Writing sessions 106/109 completed
Speaking sessions 79/109 completed
Total: 401/436 sessions completed
On Monday, grade 5 will finish their speaking tests which will add another 24 to the speaking total. These numbers are unreal, matched only by the nearly 400 students who wrapped the IA, which was happening at the same time as ACCESS.
Up next is the Mid-Year iReady Assessment, which will begin on Tuesday 1/31, when ACCESS testing ends. Then... and thank goodness... a break from school wide testing until April!
Mrs. Suong shared some details with the students during ELA class about the Chinese New Year celebration
Launch of the Argument Reading Unit in 5th Grade: Students analyze the text together.
Butler v The Stok last week! Everyone was in high spirits.
Staff Spotlight - Justien Martin
Students learn the art of twisting metal during after school
Boxing Club a HIT on Fridays! Students are learning to spar safely!
Week at a Glance
- Operations Huddle
- Last Day to Score OPEN RESPONSE for MATH/ELA
Tuesday, 1/31
- SST
- Content CPT
- iReady Testing | MATH
Wednesday 2/1
- Admin CPT
- iReady Testing | MATH
Thursday 2/2
- College Day Wear
- iReady Testing | MATH
- Butler Day - Wear your Butler gear
- iReady Testing | MATH
*All iReady Testing will happen during CORE MATH/ELA Classes. Please check in re your needs for chromebook loaners.
On The Horizon...
- 1/31 - 2/3 MATH iREADY Testing
- 2/1/23 BLACK HISTORY MONTH BEGINS (See Next Week's Newsletter for Resources)
- 2/2/23 Ground Hog's Day
- 2/7 and 2/8 iReady ELA 5/6
- 2/9 and 2/10 iReady ELA 7/8
- 2/14 Valentine's Day
- 2/17 NEXT SEL DAY
- 2/20 President's Day
- 2/21 - 2/24 FEBRUARY VACATION/MCAS Intensive
8th grader uses fine-tip pen and watercolor overlay in this exquisite French piece of art
6th graders practice resistance painting with white wax crayons and watercolor
Stop by Mrs. Barlow's Room and celebrate the LUNAR New Year with her students!
What is Going On in 8th Grade Math?
The Algebra Enrichment WIN is being offered because at the high school level, 8th grade students have the opportunity to take a placement test to skip over Algebra I as freshmen. This puts them on a path to reach Calculus by their senior year.
To get placed in this WIN group, 8th Grade math teachers looked at data including 7th grade Math MCAS results, students' most recent iReady scores, and Q1 Math grades. Students are exploring Algebra 1 standards by making connections and using prior knowledge from our current 8th grade math standards.
This effort is about college and career readiness, a continued priority for our school. Students are getting the opportunity to explore higher level Math concepts using what they know to make inferences and formulate patterns/rules. Then they practice skills applying what they have discovered.
Algebra I typically covers: evaluating expressions, writing equations, graphing functions, solving quadratics, and understanding inequalities.
UML Trip a HUGE Success for 5th and 6th grade!
Up on the Big Screen, CUP STACKING
Butler Students On the MEGATRON
Looking FOXY with the UML MASCOT!
Students Square Up for Friday's Boxing Club
A Well-Timed Block is Just As Important As Landing a Hit
ILT Updates
Next Team meeting -2/8 Wednesday0 (Ch. 3 & 4)
Check in with your grade-level team representatives for more information. Meetings take place every other Wednesday. ILT content is shared by grade representatives on the team at Grade Level CPTs. What happens in ILT drives what will happen in CPT!
ILT REPS:
Brett Sullivan -- 5th
Cheryl Ferris -- 6th
Alie Cabrera -- 6th
Peter Francis -- 7th
Jen Fraser -- 8th
Christina Pappalardo -- 8th
Vannak Theng -- EL
Krista St. Louis - Special Education
Lori Casey - SEL
SEL
Please see Lori Casey for any updates. NEXT SEL is 2/17/23
Culture and Climate
Check in with your grade level team representatives for more information. A calendar of upcoming dates will be forthcoming!
NEXT MEETINGS ARE AFTER SCHOOL MONDAY:
- 2/6
Butler Community
Email: jmoody@lowell.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/Domain/10
Location: 1140 Gorham Street, Lowell, MA, USA
Phone: 978-937-8973
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lpsdbutler/