Alamo Superhero Headlines
Alamo Elementary Weekly Newsletter - April 29 , 2019
Important Dates
Apr. 29 - Girls on the Run
Apr. 30 - 3rd grade ELA M-Step
Apr. 30 - Tots N' Tunes @ 9:30 a.m.
Apr. 30 - 5th grade Recognition Parent Meeting @ 4:00 p.m.
Apr. 30 - Destination Imagination
May 1 - NO Girls on the Run
May 1 - Intercession Community Forum, Dix Street Elementary Media Center @ 6:30 p.m.
May 2 - 5th grade to Greenfield Village, Leave promptly at 7:30 a.m. from Dix Street Elementary
May 2 - 3rd grade ELA M-Step retake
May 2 - Destination Imagination
May 3 - Last day for the cereal drive
May 6 - PTO meeting @ 4:00 p.m. (Please note the time change.)
May 6 - Grandparents Day lunch order due
May 13 - Field Day T-Shirt order due
Alamo PRIDE
Responsible Actions - Roman Busscher & Kenzie Wanamaker
Integrity WIthin -Alyvia Farrell & Rylee McMillin
Determination to Succeed - Colin Olech & Aiden Northrup
Expect Excellence - Bailey Bates & Kendall Newby
Congratulations April Students of the Month
Back Row: 2nd grader Grace Musk, 4th grader Nathan Brackett, 5th grader Nicole Butterworth
Field Day - Change of Date
Grandparents Day 2019
Grandparents Day Luncheon
We encourage grandparents to eat lunch during their grandchild's scheduled lunchtime. Below is the lunch schedule for the day.
Kindergarten - 11:15-11:35
1st - 11:55-12:15
2nd - 12:05-12:25
5th - 12:15-12:35
3rd - 12:25-12:45
4th - 12:35-12:55
ALAMO CEREAL DRIVE
Destination Imagination Bottle Slip Drive
M-Step Testing Underway
2019 Michigan Department of Education Testing Updates
Students in grades 3 – 8 and 11 will be assessed on Michigan’s current content standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies. This year, the M-Step (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) will be given April 8th through May 31st in an on-line format.
The following is important information regarding this test and your child’s participation.
All components of the test will be given on–line. It is a computer based test.
· Grades 3, 4 and 5 will be tested in ELA (reading, writing & listening comprehension) and Mathematics.
· Grade 5 will be tested in Science and in Social Studies.
Testing will consist of an on-line test and will be administered within the following guidelines:
1. Online Test Session:
· The Online Test Session may be administered in 1 session with a scheduled break (not to exceed 20 minutes) or in 2 separate sessions of equal length (45 minutes each for grades 3‐5 and 60 minutes each for grades 6-8 and 11) on the same day.
· Breaks may be provided during test sessions using the software’s pause feature.
· Although the Online Test Session is not timed, schools should allow about 1.5 hours of testing time for students in grades 3‐5 and 2 hours for students in grades 6‐8 and 11.
State Testing Window for M-Step is as follows:
· The 5th grade Science assessment will consist of one 45 minute session.
· The 5th grade Social Studies assessment will consist of two 30 minute sections (total of 1 hour).
· The State testing windows for the M-Step assessment is as follows:
o Grades 5 ............ April 8th – May 3rd
o Grades 3 & 4...... April 29th – May 24th
Congratulations to our 5th graders for finishing their last assessment last week.
Each school is scheduling these assessments individually; a schedule for Alamo Elementary is below.
4/30 - 3rd grade ELA
5/2 - 3rd grade ELA
5/7 - 4th grade ELA
5/9 - 4th grade ELA
5/14 - 4th grade Math
5/16 - 4th grade Math
5/14 - 3rd grade Math
5/16 - 3rd grade Math
The test will be administered in the classroom using the Chromebooks.
For further information on this upcoming computer based assessment of student achievement, please visit: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-22709_70117---,00.html.
A Practice Test for students can also be found at: https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT STUDENTS ARE IN ATTENDANCE THE DAYS OF TESTING!
Book Drive
2019-20 Class Placements
Spring is the time of year when we begin planning for next school year. Placement of children in classes is a part of that planning, and a most difficult task. Responsible placement decisions take time and many consultations among staff members. Our goal is to make the best match between student, teacher and learning environment. Many factors must be considered such as gender ratios, academic ranges, social behavior, personalities, special needs and learning styles. If you feel you have special insights regarding your child that could assist with our selection, it is certainly welcome. We ask parents to adhere to the following guidelines:
• Provide information about your child’s needs.
• Do NOT request a specific teacher or friendship group. A detailed description of your child’s learning style and individual needs is more helpful.
• Information must be in writing and must be in the office on or before May 3rd.
Remember that due to many factors involved, we are unable to make any guarantees, other than the fact that we will put much thought, consideration, and individual attention into each and every placement. We hope you will rely on our expertise and know that the best possible placement will be made for your child.
Alamo WatchD.O.G.S. ROCK!
We still need a WatchDOG for:
M/T/Th - Apr. 29th, 30th, & May 2
M-F - May 6th-10th
Register to be a WatchDOG and sign up by clicking on the link at VolunteerSpot: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1998773/false#/invitation
Register for Preschool Today!
Alamo PTO - Get Involved, Make a Difference
The last PTO meeting of the year is on Monday, May 6th @ 4:00 p.m. This is a change in the time due to scheduling. Please consider joining us on Monday.
Remind for Alamo Parents
Join Alamo Parents REMIND
Would you like to receive text updates on important dates and activities taking place here at Alamo Elementary? REMIND is a safe and efficient communication app designed for teachers/schools to communicate important classroom/school information. If you are interested in receiving updates from Alamo Elementary via text, text this message @aebulldogs to the number 81010.
Alamo Peachjar
Alamo Elementary
Email: nknight-lucas@otsegops.org
Website: www.otsegops.org
Location: 8184 North 6th Street, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
Phone: (269) 694-7600