Team Mindcrafters Daily Update 4-7-14

Parents,

It was great to be back with students today, and they did a great job of getting back into the swing of things!

Blizzard Bags:  Due to the blizzard bags, we will not be giving homework Monday through Wednesday this week, but students still need to be reading nightly and practicing spelling.  Students are encouraged to ask us for help if they have questions about the assignments.  Packets should be turned in when everything is completed.

4th quarter goals:  For the final quarter, students will earn a pizza party if they meet the following two goals:  master 125 Accelerated Math objectives, and earn 125% of their AR goal.   Students need to meet these goals by Friday, May 30.  AR goals were reduced slightly this quarter, but 125% is the equivalent of what they should be able to earn in a 9 week quarter.  You can log into Home Connect and click on the "Math" tab at the top to see how many Accelerated Math objectives your child has mastered so far.  

Pilot testing:  This Wednesday, our classes will be piloting new testing.  Please see the message below for more information.

Have a great night!
Mrs. Dressel and Mr. Pransky

Reminders: 

• Blizzard Bags (days 1 and 2) due Thursday
  
• Art to Remember - not sure of due date
  
• Powerhouse 5K/1K run this Saturday
• Father daughter dance - April 25
  

Reading/Language:  

None.

Social Studies:

Students should also be practicing with their "history domino flashcards". We will have a quiz on Thursday over this information.
 

Science: 

None

Math:  

none

_______________________________________

March 28, 2014

 

Dear Parents,

 

The Anthony Wayne Local School District has been selected to be a field-testing site for Ohio's Online Social Studies testing.  By participating in this pilot, the District will be able to learn how to better prepare our students for the future implementation of these tests.  The purpose of this letter is to provide you with some background information and to share some preliminary information about the testing. As you may know, each year public school students, starting in grade 3, take a series of tests called the OAA (Ohio Achievement Assessment). The OAA provides parents and teachers with information about students’ proficiency of specific learning standards in English/Language Arts, Math, and Science. OAA assessments are administered each spring and the results are distributed to schools and parents.

 

In an attempt to improve the testing process, Ohio is transitioning from OAA to AIR assessments for Social Studies and Science. Just like the OAA, AIR assessments will measure students’ proficiency of specific learning standards in Social Studies and Science. However, there are several differences between the two testing systems. OAA assessments are paper and pencil; the new testing will be computer based. OAA assessments are administered one time each school year; the new tests will be administered twice, with a performance-based assessment in March and an end-of-year assessment in May.

 

To ensure a smooth transition, Ohio has selected students from almost every school district to pilot the assessments. The primary purpose of the pilot assessments is to examine the quality of the test questions and give schools and districts the opportunity to experience the administration process. The results of the pilot test will NOT be shared with schools or families. All students who participate in the pilot will still take the OAA this year, and those results will be shared with schools and families as normal. Your child has been selected to participate in the Social Studies portion of the pilot assessment during the week of April 7th.

 

Please consult this website http://oh.portal.airast.org/OH_FieldTest/students/ or contact me if you have questions.

 

Respectfully,

 

Jim Conner

District Testing Coordinator