A Great Second Week!

For a short week there sure was a lot to do. The weather didn't really help much today either. This week K-2 students continued their m-class reading assessments. Teachers administer these individually to students so it takes a bit of time and patience on behalf of the students. Thursday and Friday second grade teachers were provided coverage during their reading block to get a significant portion of the testing completed. I know I was fortunate enough to help in Ms. Mstowski's second grade class and we had a great time! I really enjoyed getting to know the students a little better. K-1 teachers will have coverage next week to help them accomplish all of their testing. Our window closes September 25. These assessments help us to create the best possible plan for your child as they learn the process of reading. If you have any questions about the assessments please see me or your child's homeroom teacher and we would be happy to share any information we have with you. Third and fourth graders are not left out of testing either. Mr. Huston's class in fourth grade completed their MAP-R (Measure Academic Progress - Reading) this week in the computer lab. This assessment allows us to gather information on reading comprehension in grades 3-5. The test is completed on a computer and tailors itself to each child. As they answer questions correctly the questions become more challenging. As they answer incorrectly it scales back to find their best instructional level for reading. Over the next few weeks all third and foruth grade classes will participate in testing.

Please keep in mind these assessments are just one tool teachers use to create the best possible educational plan for your child. As I stated in my last post we are all a team working to develop the best education for your child. Teachers are working so hard to gather information to gain knowledge about each of the children in their class, but we all know the best first teacher is you! Please keep reading and having those rich experiences with your child at home. Reading isn't just about books! You can read signs out in the "real" world and create learning experiences without knowing it. I am so delighted to be working with your children and their teachers. We have a phenomenal staff and I know we are already creating high expectations for our students at Gibbs! Have a great weekend and we will see you back on Monday!
Mrs. Del Balzo