• 3/28: 5th & 8th Grade Only--Science Testing
• 4/4: 3rd-8th Writing Assessment
• 4/11, 4/12, 4/13, & 4/14: 3rd-8th Reading & Math Assessments (2 parts each)

ALL students MUST have headphones (wired, not bluetooth)

and their fully charged device & charger each day for testing.

Parents, please make sure that your students are present and arrive at school on time. . If at all possible, please schedule doctor’s appointments and the like on days that your student’s grade level is not testing. Once a student has started testing they can not make up any portion of that test if they are pulled out of school for appointments or illness before they finish. The State requires that all schools have 95% attendance for testing. Thank you for doing your part to ensure that this happens.

USE OF PHONES & SMART WATCHES WILL

NOT BE PERMITTED DURING TESTING SESSIONS.

Our teachers and staff continue to be grateful for the 2pm dismissal days that allow for collaboration time focused on student data, best teaching practices, and tiered instruction. Over the next few weeks, you'll see a different grade level/team highlighted in the weekly Bobcat Bulletin sharing a little peek into what is happening during their PLC time on Fridays and/or why they are so thankful for this time as professionals. Enjoy!

GIFTED SERVICES TEAM:

At Sonoran Foothills, we offer various programs for our gifted students, including Walk Up Math, Advanced ELA and Math classes, push in services for Math and ELA, and SPARK enrichment. During our PLC time, we meet with Gifted Specialists from various schools to discuss topics that are common on all campuses. This year much of our focus has been on implementing a new second grade screener, the Naglieri, for all of our second grade students, including those who are already identified. Our hope is to identify students who may not have otherwise been recommended for testing. We will also compare results of the testing against our current assessment, the CogAT to see similarities and differences.

The motto for this week is:

I adapt and make the most of change.

Life has a way of finding its own course despite our careful plans. One way to help our children manage change successfully is to help them distinguish between what they can and cannot control. For example, they may not have control over their conditions, like rain canceling outdoor recess.

However, they do have control over how they experience those conditions, like making the most of indoor recess by playing a board game with friends or reading a favorite book. Making the most of change is a valuable skill.

When your child is disappointed by a change of plans, acknowledging their disappointment helps them feel heard, and then you can guide the discussion toward a solution. For example,

"I agree. It's too bad we can't play outside today because of the weather. I'm bummed too. What can we do now?"

By thinking about what to do now, we focus on the solution rather than the problem. We direct our energy to where we do have an impact and become empowered to make the changes needed to improve our day.

"The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old,
but on building the new."
- Socrates