October 12 - Picture Retakes

October 15 - 5th/6th Parade of Bands 7:00 pm

October 17 - 1:00 Early Dismissal

October 17 - Parent Teacher Conferences 1:30-7:30 (Media Center)

October 18 - Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30 (Media Center)

October 19 - No School

October 26 - End of 1st Quarter

October 31 - 1:00 Early Dismissal

Standards Based Learning:

What this means for you as a parent:

One of the last pieces of this transition is the Grading System within Infinite Campus itself. In the next week or so you will start seeing grades entered in the Infinite Campus portal. The delay to this point has been in connecting what we're teaching to how that we'll show up in the gradebook. The gradebook will look different than what you've been used to in the the past. Students will no longer receive a single grade for a class (Ex. A, B, C, etc...) Instead, students will receive feedback on specific standards within each course. Our goal is for all students to be 'Meeting Proficiency' for each standard. The four levels of proficiency that will show up in the gradebook and ultimately on the Report Card are:

EX - Exceeding

MT - Meeting

DV - Developing

BG - Beginning

Here is a document that describes each level.

Other Differences in Infinite Campus:

You will notice that there will not be as many activities and assignments graded within Infinite Campus as in the past. Students are still completing assignments and engaged in activities but teachers are providing feedback directly to students and using more of these for practice before taking assessments that will be used to determine their level of understanding. Students that are not Meeting Proficiency will have the opportunity to re-learn and re-assess to demonstrate that they have met the standard expected.

Social Studies is one area that we have not completed our standards based work yet. Because of this, our gradebook will not align with our teaching/learning with Social Studies this year. For you that means you will not be seeing any reports in Infinite Campus for Social Studies this year. Periodically you will get feedback from the teacher in a different format as to how your child is doing in Social Studies.

Mrs. Truelsen and Ms. Dever will not be available on Wednesday, October 17 after 4:30. If your student has one of these two 6th grade teachers, they will be in touch with more information.

katie.burgmeier@cd-csd.org

A familiar theme in movies and TV shows is entitled children; kids, tweens, and teens complaining that they didn’t get something they think they deserve. They complain about a teacher giving them a poor grade. They whine to their friends about their parents giving them an early curfew or not letting them go to a party. Or they call coaches dumb when they don’t make the team.

An entitlement is something that is granted to someone without them having to earn it. It is given without any effort. And unfortunately, our culture is encouraging our children’s sense of entitlement. If you want to break your kids out of a “me, me, me” mindset here are 3 ways to do it:

1. Look in the mirror.

Where did your kids pick up on the instant gratification idea? Parents must model the attitudes they want their children to learn. Pay close attention to the shows they are watching. Kids often emulate what they are watching.

2. Make them work for it.

When you realize how many chores or hours of yard work are required to accumulate the cash for an expensive video game or a pair of designer jeans, you think more seriously about how much you really want them.

Giving luxuries to our children without having to earn it distorts their understanding how reality of the working world.

3. Say No.

It is OKAY to say no even if everyone else's kids are have it. This can be tough because we want our kids to fit in, but parenting them correctly trumps everything else. So if everyone is playing Fortnite or has a cell phone, it is still okay to say no. Remember that equipping your children with the skills to be content is the loving thing to do. Even if they do have plenty of cash throughout their lives to indulge in, teaching them now will help them l earn how to be content in a variety of circumstances.

Parent for the long haul, not just for today.

If your son/daughter are sick and unable to be at school, please call the office before 8:15 to notify our staff.

If there is a change in how your student will be riding home, please call the office as soon as possible, but definitely before 2:30 so that we have time to relay that message.

The Central DeWitt PTO’s goal is to foster a nurturing and caring environment that strives for continued parent involvement in helping build a better educational environment for our children. There are endless possibilities in ways you can help. Whatever your own level of flexibility, Central DeWitt PTO always appreciates their parent volunteers, as does our teachers and staff. Whether you have 30 minutes or a couple of hours, your ideas, your time, and your talents are truly needed. Please come along and join us - this is your PTO and as a member you can help us achieve these goals. We need your ideas and your energy.

Central DeWitt PTO Newsletter

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Join a 4-H Club