ISAT and Free Apps

I would like to remind all our third grade families that ISAT state testing will be taking place beginning March 5. The testing window lasts two weeks which also includes time for makeup testing. Students perform best when well rested and after a healthy breakfast. As attendance is also a key to success, it is best not to schedule routine appointments during these days if at all possible. Please encourage your child to do their best and show what they know.

Free Reading Apps:

Over the years, I have had parents ask me about reading strategies to help their students succeed. Obviously, there are many successful steps. Here are a few Apps that allow students to use technology to improve their reading. Each is free and developed in association with the Virginia Department of Education.

Aesop's Quest, based on Aesop's Fables, is a learning game where the student must remember elements of a story to complete a level. At the end of each story segment or level, the student is rewarded with puzzle pieces. After solving the puzzle, the story is complete and the child can continue to the next story.

In Opposite Ocean, Luna and Leo must master the magic of words by correctly identify the antonym that is the opposite of the given keyword. Children earn pearls when they drag the correct bubble word to the enchanted clam.

Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion is part story, part game, and part online safety lesson. When Garfield's friend receives an "F" on his report about goats for using opinions instead of facts, Professor Garfield steps in to explain the differences between a fact and an opinion (particularly with regard to the Internet), how to read with a questioning mind, and how a fact can be verified.

In Same Meaning Magic students help Luna and Leo, young magicians at magic school, toss word stones into the wishing well to earn gold coins and jewels by choosing the best synonym.

Same Sound Spellbound is an adventure designed to help the player understand homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, such as "bee" and "be"). Luna and Leo, young magicians at Magic School, must use their spell book to bring animal statues to life. In the game, students must correctly identify the homophone which best completes the puzzle sentence, in a given time.

Writing Season!

While Spring may still be a while coming, Writing season is upon us!

Of course, our students always develop and practice their writing skills. However, this is the time of year when those skills all culminate into complete writing products.

Students first address the question or prompt. They then refer to the text for support. They use high level thinking to form opinions and justify them. They make connections between the text and their personal lives. Finally, they round out their writing with reflective and concluding thoughts.

It is a great time to talk to your student about some of these skills. I think you'll be impressed by their level of understanding.

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.

January brings about an excellent opportunity to assess where each of our students are on their path to learning. We will be conducting MAP testing and receiving results by the end of the month. Each student's individual assessment will specifically target key areas in Reading and Mathematics. This data will be used by teachers to meet the needs of each individual student.

Here is the link to the NWEA (MAP) homepage: http://www.nwea.org/

Look for MAP results to be sent home by the end of the month or early in February.

As always, please contact me with any questions. Thanks

Between Holidays

We wish all our families a happy Thanksgiving.

As students return, the Holiday Season will be in full swing. Christmas plans, hectic schedules, and SNOW!!! At this busy and enjoyable time of the year, I remind parents that learning is still taking place. Reading, Math, Specials, and content area classes move forward over the next few weeks before Winter Break. Please do all you can to have your student continue to attend school regularly. A good breakfast at home, or utilizing our school breakfast program, is an important start for a great day.

Winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots are important to help children stay warm and allow them to participate in recess activities.

We look forward to making the most of the next month to help students excel.

Of Conferences and Thanksgiving...

“Mrs. Lekkas, he is like a diamond in the rough. The potential is there, but it just needs a little polishing.” I remember Mrs. Alm saying that to my mom at Fall conferences in second grade. The leafless tree branches were swinging in the wind on a cloudy, blustery day. I sat there looking out the window, hoping I wouldn’t get into trouble. The whole time wondering if my mom knew what potential meant…

As we turn the calendar to November, we come upon Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of all. Throughout my life, Thanksgiving has been a time of family. Though immigrants to the US, my parents always prepared a feast and hosted aunts, uncles, and cousins. Sure, there were some Greek recipes each year, but the staple remained turkey with stuffing, my mom’s sweet potatoes, and my aunt’s desserts.

Thanksgiving also holds a special place in my heart because it is the beginning of the holiday season. It is the first event of many more to follow, all enveloped with the “holiday season” feeling of cheer. Christmas decorating begins. The smell of snow is becoming present. The approaching new year and all its possibilities. All those things within arm’s reach as you gather with family around the Thanksgiving table. Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks and the potential for many great things to come.

The potential Mrs. Alm told my mother about is the same potential for us all to discuss for each of our students at conferences this month. It is vital that we take a look at data from MAP and AIMSWeb, analyze guided reading levels, and review all running records. It is just as important, that while we give thanks for these measured data points, we embrace that this is a time of potential. It is important that students, parents, and the entire school community all work together to help guide our students as they continue their educational path. Kids need to know that on a daily basis, their families and their teachers care about them doing the best they can: that they reach their potential.

I cannot guarantee that my mom could accurately define the word potential for you today. However, she 100% can tell you the story of the conference with Mrs. Alm. She will mime the process of polishing something in her hand while stretching out the words, “just needs a Lllitttllle polishing...”

As that conference ended, I thought Mrs. Alm was doing me a favor by not mentioning that I got caught throwing paper in the cafeteria the day before. Boy was I wrong. She wasn’t doing me a favor. She was purposefully recruiting my mom so that the two of them could conspire to force me to do my best for the next two years I was in her second and third grade looping class. Not a bad strategy, actually.

As we turn to November with conferences and the holiday season, we give thanks for all our great kids here at KES. We welcome parents to our building on conference day and any other day. We look forward to seeing you so that we may work together to problem solve, celebrate, and encourage students in ways that will help them reach their potential.

October at KES

I hope all our KES families have been enjoying the perfect fall weather!

The October 7th institute will be dedicated to teachers analyzing MAP scores and creating goal sheets for each student. Kids and teachers will then work together to learn with these goals in mind.

Boo! We look forward the fun of Halloween parties and the parade! Please look for an informative flyer coming home with your student listing all the details, times, and locations.

Assessment and Curriculum

KES just completed our first round of data team meetings. We used data from AIMSWeb, MAP, and Fountas & Pinnel. In short, we looked at assessment data from EVERY KES student. We are using this data to help ensure each student is being challenged and an individual and optimal level for success and growth. Please feel free to call or stop by the office with any questions. Thanks.