November 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
It seems like this school year is moving by so quickly. We already completed the first marking period and we are in November already. Your children have been extremely busy with MAP testing and benchmark assessments this past month. These assessments have provided us with an overview of your child’s abilities in all core subjects. We have placed your children in the necessary interventions to support their individual needs.
I personally met with every child this past week in our Town Meetings to discuss proper behaviors in school, expectations in the classrooms, and how important it is for students to do their homework. I set expectations for every student to study every night for at least two hours. A great way to study is to have your child develop flash cards, or read their notes and place them in Cornell format in their notebooks. I have also reminded students that they need to read nightly. The district’s expectation is to read a minimum of 25 books throughout the year. We want every child to be successful and to have the opportunity to celebrate their success with good grades and positive self-esteem. The parent is the key component to their child’s success. We appreciate your willingness to help support our efforts towards each child successfully reaching excellence. We together can reinforce that “Failure is Not an Option” and “Excellence is Everyone’s Standard."
We finalized our MAP testing this past month and we are extremely impressed as a whole school. Our students have shown an average growth in English, Reading, and Mathematics that surpasses the national average. Thank you for providing support at home with encouraging our children to do their best. We sent the MAP scores home with our student report cards. We also sent home your child’s writing assessment from the first marking period. This assessment was graded on a rubric and provides us and you an understanding of how well our students write.
We sent home your child’s report card on October 28th. If your child received an “I” on their report card, they have work that needs to be made up. Students need to get all make-up work into their teachers by November 4th to receive credit. If they decide not to hand in their work, they will receive a zero, which will drastically affect their overall average.
Our School Improvement Council (SIC) met on Wednesday, October 28th. We focused on developing a plan for our students that need assistance in math and English. We were provided funding from the district to implement interventions and programs to support our children. We will be finalizing these programs in the near future.
There will be an early dismissal for parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday, November 4th. Please contact the school to set-up teacher conferences after 2:30 p.m. Students are released at 2:15 p.m.
Thank you to all the parents that attended our first PTSA meeting. We had a great turn out and there was tremendous support and interaction. We had Salsa dancing, Hispanic foods, and information delivered on the history of the Hispanic heritage.
We had our first club day on October 22nd. The students enjoyed their clubs and had the opportunity to be part of outside activities to support the whole child. Thank you to Ms. VanOordt and the PBIS team for the organization of our club day.
Please review the following dates and information:
Project Wisdom:
This month’s Character Education focus is “Daring to be My Best.” The following will be our weekly themes:
Nov. 2nd-6th: Kindness: Making a Kinder World
Nov. 9th-13th: Caring: Show the World You Care
Nov. 16th-20th: Helping Others, Helping Ourselves
Nov. 23rd-24th: Thanksgiving
Parent Volunteer of the Month:
We are always looking for parents to volunteer in our school. Here are some ways you can help: chaperone dances, office help, assist teachers in their classrooms, make copies, hall monitors, cafeteria assistance, read to students, and mentor. If interested, please sign-up in the main office.
The Parent Volunteer recipient for October is Ms. Lise Matutina! Ms. Matutina continuously assists our front office and organizing projects for the PTSA. Thank you Ms. Matutina for all you do.
Thank you to all the parents and community members who have volunteered their time at our school. Together we will achieve excellence.
Teacher of the Month:
The Teacher of the Month recipient for October is Ms. Lavarnway! Ms. Lavarnway is a sixth grade Science teacher for the female students. Academically Ms. Lavarnway is always looking for cross-curricular projects with the different subjects. During October, she was our leader for the RIGOR book presentation and coordinated a research project with the PTA and Hispanic Month and Ms. Cary's research methods class. Ms. Lavarnway also organizes our recycle program here at SAMS. She is professional and a great team player. Thank you Ms. Lavarnway for all you do.
Staff Member of the Month:
The Staff Member of the Month recipient for October is Ms. Hamel! Ms. Hamel is our secretary/bookkeeper and goes beyond expectations with regards to her job. Ms. Hamel takes great pride in our school and ensures that every child has their needs met every day. Ms. Hamel is a true team member and is always helping to ensure we have a positive learning environment. Thank you Ms. Hamel, for all your hard work and your dedication to the children.
Dates to Remember:
11/04: Early Dismissal 2:15 p.m.
11/24: Progress Reports
11/25-11/27: Holiday: No School
For the Children,
Benjamin Bragg Principal