Bulletin 9/2/16

Fifth Community Quilt 

A Note from Mrs Acke

There is nothing more energizing than the smiles and sounds of children being back in school. A special thank you to our awesome PTA and Support Staff who have helped coordinate volunteers, back-to-school packets, and overall support to start the year off right. We want school to be the best part of your child’s day and a place where children feel happy and engaged, and where parents feel welcome and involved. I will be in classrooms and around the school, so please feel free to introduce yourself. I look forward to collaborating with this great community as we work together to make sure every student has a great year here at Thomas Jefferson! -Kirsten Acke, Principal

PTC Meeting - Thursday, September 8, 2016

Please join us for our first PTC meeting on Thursday, September 6, 2016 at 6:30 pm.  We will be meeting in the staffroom and welcome our attendance.  The Dance-a-thon is scheduled for Friday, October 13, 2016. We are eager to continue the AMAZING work of our PTC and we look forward to see you there!  

Attendance 

Please remember to report your student's absence whenever they are absent.  Our attendance phone number is 916-771-1840 Press Option #1.  If an absence is not reported, it is a non-verified absence and is considered UNEXCUSED.  For more information about the Roseville City School District or Thomas Jefferson School, visit www.rcsdk8.org

Volunteering at Thomas Jefferson

All regular volunteers and volunteers attending school field trips must be fingerprinted and have a current TB test on file with the Roseville City School District (RCSD).  The RCSD is exploring the option of having a mobile fingerprinting service come to Thomas Jefferson in September to fingerprint volunteers.  The blog will be updated as soon more information is shared. 

Calendar

Please check the Thomas Jefferson School Calendar on a regular basis.  We will update it periodically and as events are scheduled.  

Arrival and Dismissal

Please do not park your car in the loop at arrival or dismissal time.  When cars are parked in the loop is causes a back up and that becomes a safety issue.  Thank you in advance for your understanding and attention to this matter.  

iReady Assessments

Our school has begun to implement a program called i-Ready® Diagnostic & Instruction that will provide our students with an innovative diagnostic assessment
and engaging instruction. The focus of this online program is reading and math.
i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs.

i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction assesses and teaches the following skill areas:

Reading Math

• Phonological Awareness • Number and Operations

• Phonics • Algebra and Algebraic Thinking

• High-Frequency Words • Measurement and Data

• Vocabulary • Geometry

• Comprehension

i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction begins by giving students an adaptive assessment in reading or math. An adaptive assessment is a test that automatically adjusts the difficulty of the questions according to each student’s performance in order to determine his or her abilities in reading or math. Before your child begins the assessment, it’s important to set appropriate expectations. i-Ready is a very different kind of test that presents students with questions that can be both too easy and too hard. It is designed to do this until the assessment finds exactly the level at which the student is performing. Therefore, your child will certainly see some items above his or her level. Encourage your child to independently complete the test to the best of his or her ability, and know that it is okay to get questions wrong.

Each time a student gets an item incorrect, he or she will be presented with a simpler question until the diagnostic finds the grade level at which the student is performing. The assessment efficiently assesses students across multiple grade levels, allowing for identification of root causes of students’ struggles or for identification of areas where a student is ready for further challenge. This information will then provide the teacher with a “road map” to instructional remediation.

Once your child completes the test, he or she will be assigned online instruction to support his or her progress in mastering each skill. The online instruction is designed to be both challenging and engaging. i-Ready delivers instruction using engaging, contemporary animation; the lessons are also interactive. The result is an experience that attracts and holds your child’s interest while also teaching important skills and concepts. These lessons are proven to help students grow academically.

In addition, i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction supports the teachers and administrators at your child’s school. The program provides a series of comprehensive reports designed to make classroom instruction more effective. These reports include data about student performance as well as detailed teaching suggestions. They help educators make informed decisions about the instruction that is right for your child.

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office or your child’s teacher.

   Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Why are some questions so hard?	To enable a precise assessment, i-Ready Diagnostic is designed so that students will answer about 50% of the questions incorrectly. We need to understand what’s too easy, what’s too hard, and what’s just right.
Why isn’t there an “I don’t know” option?	It is critical for the test design that the student answers the question correctly or incorrectly so that the test can adapt to an easier or more difficult question. For example, when students have an "I don't know" choice and they lack confidence, they are likely to select "I don't know" even when they may know the answer. It is better if they make an educated guess, as that provides a much more accurate estimate of a student's ability than giving them the option of "I don't know."
Should I help my child during the test?	You may help your child with any technical issues, such as adjusting your computer’s speakers, but it is important that your child completes the test independently to the best of his or her ability so that we can get an accurate read and deliver instruction at his or her unique level.
Is i-Ready Diagnostic a timed test?	No, encourage your child to take his or her time on the test. It may be helpful to take the test over two sessions.

For more information on i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction, please visit the Curriculum Associates website at www.CurriculumAssociates.com.

We have also attached a Parent Guide on the website under the sidebar tab of iReady.