Happy Friday! Happy pay-day! Hope your Spring Break is awesome and that you find opportunities to relax and expand your horizons.
Today's blog-post is coming to you live from my new "office" which is actually the couch in the lobby for the time-being. My old office a bit discombobulated right now, and, as of this morning is also where they're keeping the air compressor, too... It's a full-on pro-grade compressor. It's quite loud. So I've relocated. Temporarily. For what it's worth: I've got a great view of our renovation project from where I sit.
AIMS, Greatness, and Game Day
When we return from Break we'll be charging headlong into testing season before we know it. As I'm sure most of you know, AIMS testing officially begins on 15 April. I know all of our third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers have worked hard all year to prepare our students for these important assessments, and that the rest of us, regardless of the grade-level or special area in which we teach, remain committed to preparing our younger students for the day when they will sit for AIMS, too.
Thanks for your commitment to our students.
It's been a while since I've talked about Greatness here on the Blue Note Blog, but I trust that you're still committed to the concept. I am. We've looked at a lot of data since the beginning of the year, and made a lot of plans and formed a bunch of intervention groups based on those insights.
Numbers matter, for sure.
But what matters more, at least to me, is our collective commitment to doing our absolute best to deliver the highest-quality, most faithful, integral instruction possible to our students, everyday.
Below is the letter that will be sent home with our students prior to AIMS Week. I'd like you to read it, too. I think the idea of "game day" is relevant to how I'd like us all to perceive this event at our school. We've been practicing all year. AIMS is our opportunity to shine, to show what we know, to demonstrate for everyone who chooses to look how truly Great our students and teachers are.
Hello Marshall families,
As you know, the AIMS testing season is nearly upon us. The first day of testing for grades 3-5 happens on Tuesday morning, April 15, 2013.
As you know, AIMS is a really big deal, no matter how you slice it. And, honestly, we’re very excited about AIMS this year! At Marshall, we like to imagine that AIMS is our Game Day, the main event that we’ve been practicing for all year. As we see it, AIMS is our chance to shine, to show what we know, and, hopefully, to successfully achieve the academic goals that the state has set for us. AIMS is a win-win for everyone. By doing well individually on AIMS, students have their best opportunity to demonstrate to their upcoming teachers how prepared they are for next year’s new material. Likewise, by doing well on AIMS as a school, Marshall is able to demonstrate, once again, its academic excellence to the community.
Our bottom line is simple: as a school, we intend to focus on the “wins” this year as we prepare to take AIMS. We hope you’ll join us in this effort! Here are a few simple things you can do to help your child be optimally successful on AIMS:
- Be present -- If your child is healthy, please make sure he or she is in school on-time every day during the testing period. The state requires that we test every student. At Marshall, testing always begins first-thing in the morning. Students absent during any testing session must make-up the test they missed when they return to school. It’s simpler, more expedient, and of greater benefit to test everyone during the dedicated testing sessions rather than at a different time.
- Be healthy -- It’s common knowledge, but it bears repeating despite the fact that we all know it: children do better in school, and especially on tests, when they are well-rested and well-fed. Please help your child get to bed early and to eat healthy meals during the testing period.
- Be positive -- Your student will believe all-the-more in the importance of the AIMS test if you do. Please try to portray a positive and encouraging attitude toward this important event when talking to your child.
- Praise them for their hard work.
- Remind them of how hard they’ve practiced and prepared for this.
- Show them that you’re committed to their success.
- Tell them how proud you are of their accomplishments.
I am very proud of the great efforts that our teachers and students have put into preparing for these tests this year, and I am optimistic that our students will do well on their upcoming tests. Your partnership in this endeavor is essential. Thanks for all your help and support!
Calendar
- Monday, 25 March
- Marshall SPED team planning meeting, 10:00
- Wednesday, 27 March
- ADE Arts and the Common Core workshop, 4:00-5:30 in the Library
- Thursday, 28 March
- Faculty Meeting, 7:45 in the Library
