Conference requests are going home today. Please be sure to set up an appointment time with your child’s instructor for Report Card Pick-Up Day on Friday, September 16^th.

This will be an opportunity for you to learn more about how your child is doing at school. During your conference, your child’s instructor will offer details about your child’s work and progress so far this school year. Your child’s instructor will also share your child’s most recent assessment results and talk about specific ways you can help your child at home. It is recommended to take notes during the conference and ask for an explanation if you don’t understand something.

After report card pick-up, think about what your child’s instructor has said and be sure to follow up at a later time. If your child’s instructor has informed you that your child needs to work on certain areas, please be sure to check in later to see how things are going.

Regards,

Patrick R. Love
Principal, Alain Locke Charter School

The inter-session will be from September 19^th to September 30^th. Make sure your child completes the intercession packets and reads daily during their school break.

Please be sure to review your child’s progress report and return it to the school with your signature. Please remember, that you are always encouraged to schedule a parent/instructor conference at any time during the school year to discuss your child’s progress at school.  We highly recommend that you reach out to your child’s instructor if you see a rating of unsatisfactory on his/her progress report.

Starting March 10th, every 3rd-8th grade student will be taking his/her first PARCC assessment in math and English language arts. This assessment is designed to measure students’ progress toward the more rigorous Common Core Standards. These assessments are designed to serve as an educational GPS system, identifying where students are excelling and where they may need extra help to get where they need to be.

Here are some key facts about PARCC assessments for you to keep in mind:

• PARCC assessments test students in grades 3-11 in math and English language arts.
• These tests not only evaluate a student’s progress, but show teachers and parents exactly where a student needs help so they are able to personalize instruction to meet individual student needs.
• PARCC assessments are more engaging than traditional standardized tests. The math section contains multi-step problems that ask students to reason through real-world situations. The language arts section asks students to read passages from real texts – fiction and non-fiction – and sometimes watch video or listen to audio. All of the skills assessed on the test are based on age-appropriate standards.

How Can you Support Your Child:

• Be sure that your child reads a combination of fiction and non-fiction.
• Discuss and “do” real life math with your child. Help him/her know basic math facts.
• Discuss the new tests with your child. Make sure s/he is not scared or anxious going into the new tests.
• Explain to your child that the tests will initially be more challenging. Tell your child to do his/her best on the test and you are there to help every step of the way.
• Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home and make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and nutritious breakfast before a test (or any school day!).
• Attend parent/instructor conferences and talk with instructors about your child’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• Talk with your child’s instructor to determine which skills to reinforce at home.
• Above all, be positive and encouraging about the tests.

Take the Test! PARCC has a test online that parents and students can try.

http://www.parcconline.org/take-the-test

Family Literacy Night
We want to thank everyone who came out to our Family Reading Night (PreK-2nd grade) event. It was a fun filled night of family reading activities. We hope everyone enjoyed and learned something new from the sessions that were presented yesterday.

MAP TESTING STARTS AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
After Thanksgiving break, your child will take an assessment called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). We give the MAP test three times a year (August, December and May) for reading and mathematics.

MAP is unique in that they are adaptive tests your child takes on the computer to help monitor each student’s academic growth over time. Following this testing period, you will receive a report showing your child’s current instructional level and progress made since the beginning of this school year.

Be sure that your child is well rested and eats a good breakfast so he or she is ready to do their very best on MAP. If you have any questions about MAP test, please ask your child’s instructor or contact the office.

READING: A DAILY HABIT
If reading is a habit you would like your child to get into, there are a number of ways to help cultivate it. One way is to try and cut back on TV consumption and set aside the time saved for family reading activities. For example, you could set aside a time where all family members can read together such as after dinner or before bed time.

Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

PROGRESS REPORTS GO OUT TOMORROW

Progress reports go home tomorrow, November 13th. Be sure to take the time to review your child’s progress report to see how he or she is doing so far this school quarter. If you have any questions about your child’s progress report, be sure to contact your child’s instructor. Report Card Pick- Up

MAP TESTING STARTS AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS

After Thanksgiving break, your child will take an assessment called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). We give the MAP test three times a year (August, December and May) for reading and mathematics.

MAP is unique in that they are adaptive tests your child takes on the computer to help monitor each student’s academic growth over time. Following this testing period, you will receive a report showing your child’s current instructional level and progress made since the beginning of this school year.

DISSMISALL TIME REMINDERS

It is getting dark earlier, so please be sure to pick up your child on time when school ends. Be sure that your child is dressed appropriately (i.e. coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc.) every day so he or she is fully prepared to go outside.

Regards,

Patrick R. Love
Principal
Alain Locke Charter School