News From Our Classroom

       Hello.   The last of our NWEA tests (the "makeups") were completed at the end of last week, so the NWEAs are completely behind us until next September.  I want to express my appreciation to you for talking to your child about taking his or her time on the NWEAs, and for encouraging him to try to do his very best on these tests.  Most of the kids paced themselves very well, used paper to figure out some math work, where appropriate,  and thought about what was being asked.  I truly felt that most of them TRIED to do their very best!   Thank you.  It is my hope that this will result in their being placed in groupings that really are at their appropriate level of learning.   The record sheet for the NWEAs will be amongst the papers sent home to you with the final report card.
       I was able to complete all of the sight word tests for my class last week, and made a good start on those DRAs.  As I explained in the last newsletter,   those children who are able to pass the timed DRA Lev. 16 fiction test must also take and pass a timed nonfiction Lev. 16 test.  Both level 16 stories must be passed in time and accuracy before your child is considered to have completed Grade 1 reading.  If a child is unable to pass both level 16 stories this year, he or she will begin the next school year at reading at whatever level he or she was successful at the end of this school year. 
       I am writing this newsletter on Saturday evening.   I will do more DRA testing Monday morning.  It is likely, especially if I have all students present, that I will try to fit in several tests on Monday afternoon.  We should be able to do another timed math test,  the Sitton Achievement Test 3 (spelling),  and the final penmanship tests.  We may even do the Sitton sight word spelling #1 - 35.  We did the writing prompt last Thursday, so that is finished. I will try to do some of the Fry Spelling test each day for 4 day, so the children won't have to do more than 25 words a day.  We still have a unit test to do sometime this week.
      Your child does not have school on Tuesday, June 13.  Since it is voting day, the children could not be here anyway, so the teachers will be using the day as an opportunity to get some of the final paperwork done to the children's portfolios and cum folders with information that should be valuable for next year's teacher.  We're hoping to take the first graders to Pooh Corner Farms on the afternoon of the 14th, and to Dew Haven on June 15th.  The 16th is Field Day for the entire school, assuming that the weather permits.  The 19th will be Step Up Day in the morning from 8:30- 10:30, and we will celebrate the end of our school year together that afternoon at the Coyote Coupon celebration for April/May/June.  June 20th is a half day of school.  The kids will eat lunch at 10:15, and be ready to start summer vacation at 11:30.  Please remember that it is the Crescent Park School tradition to gather on the front lawn on the final half day as buses dismiss, and wave the students off to summer vacation.  I hope you will join us, if you are picking up your child that day.  It is a nice way to affirm the end to the school year, and the beginning of summer.