ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
January 12, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• Monday, 1/16 - Holiday, NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday, 1/17 - Professional Development Day, NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, 1/18 - 5th Graders Share Makey Makey Social Studies Projects (Multi, 5-6pm)
• Wednesday, 1/25 - PTA General Meeting (Multi, 8:30am)
• Tuesday, 1/31 - Final Submission for Bookwave
• Wednesday, 2/8 - SSC Meeting (Library, 3pm)
• Thursday, 2/9 - School Coffee (Library, 8:35am)
• Wednesday, 3/1 - Family Science Night (Multi, 6:30-8pm)
• Monday, 4/3 - STEM Expo School Day Showcase
• Tuesday, 4/4 - STEM Expo Community Night (Multi, 4:30pm - 6:00pm)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

...from the Almond Teaching Staff

NOTE:  Italicized portions are a repeat of what was communicated regarding reading results.

Tomorrow you will receive paper copies of the 2nd administration of the iReady computerized assessment for math. 

As a reminder...
This measure is just one of many that we utilize.  Because iReady is only given three times a year, it serves as more of a progress monitoring tool than a data source to determine targeted instruction configurations.

We would like to share some of the results that we have noted through our analysis.

iReady Math

• 508 students in grades K-6 had a T1 and T2 score
• In August, 54% of students performed at or above their grade level designation
• At the end of November / Beginning of December, the percentage students performing at or above their grade level designation increased to 75%
• 420 students demonstrated a gain in their diagnostic score from T1 to T2
• At the end of November / Beginning of December, the percentage of students scoring 2 or more levels below dropped from 8% to 4%

As a reminder...
Your child’s iReady reports will communicate two scores via a bar chart; Test 2 and Test 1.  It will also provide a breakdown by subject area domain.  As noted in the data above, many students experienced an increase of score between the two administrations.  There were however students whose scale score went down.  We ask you to consider three things when reflecting on this information:  1) There is a standard of error of (+/-)approximately 10-15 points.  2) This is one single measure taken on one particular day or series of days.  3) We are looking at each and every students’ results and following up on how to further support growth with specific actions from the education team at Almond.  

We want ALL children to be challenged in their sweet spot of learning.

If you have any specific questions regarding your child’s iReady reading results, please address those directly to your child’s teacher.

Correlation Analysis & Reflections of iReady Math and CAASPP:
ONE of the many sources of pride for the Los Altos School District is the high achievement of our students.  These accomplishments manifest in a great many ways.  The contributions of our young people in the greater world around them.  The higher education that they pursue.  The careers into which they become leaders as adults.  And, one of those measures also includes the statewide assessment known by some as the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and known by others as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).  Both the same assessment that is only applicable to grade 3-6.  We will standardize on referring to is as the CAASPP.  Because we know some of you will look at the iReady and draw correlations to how your child “might” perform on the CAASPP, we would like to directly address this as a staff.

On your iReady report, there is a green shaded area that indicates “On Level.”  There is a range in this level that is “Early,” “Mid,” or “Late.”  Anything to the left of the green shaded area is “below” level.  Anything to the right is “above” level.  If you’ve ever engaged in a conversation with Mrs. Benadom, you know she despises these terms because at times they can be used to label and limit children.  This does not contribute to a growth mindset.  As an Almond teaching staff we have worked tirelessly to be very mindful of the language we use in describing a child’s learning needs.

As we looked at iReady Spring 2015 results alongside CAASPP Spring 2015 results in math, we found these correlations:  There was a strong correlation between the iReady relative labels of “2 or more below” and the CAASPP label of “Standards Not Met.”  We also found a strong correlation between the iReady “1 level below” and the CAASPP “Standard Nearly Met.”  We found that when a student achieves at the “early” or “mid” grade level designation within their age appropriate placement, the CAASPP result was typically “Standard Met.”

We found a significant discrepancy between the iReady “Above” and the CAASPP “Standard Exceeded.”  We attribute this to the difference in the two subject matters and the depth and complexity of math.  While iReady Math performance may report a child within the “On Level” zone and list the progress as “Late” in the Placement column, this typically translates to “Standard Exceeds” on the CAASPP.  In other words, if you perceive that your child typically performs at a high level in math and when you look at the report he/she has a scale score bar that is falling within the “On Level” area and not reaching to the far right of that as you expected, please don’t panic.  If your child is making progress and the trajectory is headed towards them reaching into the far end of the green, where they would be considered “Late,” our analysis points to a strong correlation that their CAASSP score will most likely be “Standard Exceeded.”

As a final reminder…
We share all of this with you so that when you receive your child’s iReady results, you may consider this information within a reasonable context.  We are midway through the school year.  There is still more learning to take place.  We will continue to focus on the diverse needs of students and work together as a staff to personalize learning for ALL of our students.  Again, we cannot emphasize enough that this is one single measure upon which we reflect to ensure we are supporting the learning of our students.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

Happy New Year from LAEF!
We hope you had a wonderful break and are looking forward to a great second half of the school year. The end of 2016 brought in many contributions! Special thanks to those families who made a tax-deductible gift or requested a match from their company. Stay tuned for an exciting update on our fundraising progress. In the meantime...for more information about LAEF or to donate, please go to www.LAEFonline.org.

NEW LOST & FOUND PURGE PROTOCOL
Starting with January, we will clear out the Lost & Found at the end of each month to keep it from getting ridiculously full.  Please put your child's name or at least a family name in your children's clothing and we will do our best to return it to you.  Remind your children to look in the Lost & Found regularly.  

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS -  WINTER SESSION STARTS SOON

• Are you looking for interesting programs after school right here at Almond?
• Take a look at the options we offer including Sports, Technology, Design and Music
• *NEW* offerings this Winter – Mandarin is back on Fridays.
• *NEW day  DezignKidz  is now being offered on Wednesdays (by special request) to accommodate students participating in the Drama Club. Students will work on a fun Spring collection!
• It’s simple to sign up!  Go to the After School Programs schedule on the Almond website. Sign up is easy through Activity Hero.
• Please contact Jennel Massey with any questions
•  

LASD PARENT EDTALK:  Assessment and Reporting

Friday, January 27, 2017 @ 9:00am in Gardner Bullis School - Staff Lounge
Join us for a Parent EdTalk on Assessment and Reporting in LASD. This talk will include an overview of standards based teaching and learning, as well as provide details on our district-wide K-8 common assessments: the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Benchmark Assessment and the iReady Diagnostic Assessment in Reading and Math.  Seating is limited to 50. To reserve a place please click link: https://edtalk_1_27_17.eventbrite.com

FROM LAST HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT:  When to Keep Your Child Home From School

• Sometimes it is difficult, especially early in the morning, to know whether or not to send your child to school.  The following guidelines are indications that you should keep him/her home.  In this way, you are helping to control the spread of colds, flu, and other contagious illnesses.
• Keep your child at home when he/she has any of the following symptoms:  fever of 99.6 or higher, chills, vomiting or diarrhea, nausea, sore throat or trouble swallowing, coughing / sneezing / runny nose, rash or unusual sores or spots, headache, generalized muscle aches and pains, wheezing or trouble breathing, unusual red / crusted / burning eyes, head lice.
• You need to keep your child home until he/she has been symptom free without medication for 24 hours.
• Also, NOTIFY THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY if your child is exposed to or contracts chicken pox, mumps or measles or whooping cough (pertussis).  These conditions can be life threatening to students who are undergoing therapies that suppress their immune systems.
• The following information is only a guide to common childhood health concerns. Call our District Nurses (650-444-9702 or 650-537-8119) or personal health care provider for more information. Always bring a copy of a physician’s note to school and/or notify the school if your child will have an extended absence due to a health condition for 10 days or longer.

Father / Daughter Dance, Feb 11th 6:30-9pm in the Almond School Multi

• Make memories that will last a lifetime during this special semi-formal event for Fathers and Daughters of all ages. Enjoy dancing, photos, decadent desserts, handcrafting mementos and a very special dance with your daughters.
• There are still tickets available. $45/attendee- please RSVP to Meredith Hiltgen at meredith@hiltgen.com. Write the check to the Almond PTA and place in PTA box in office.  

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - REPEATED

BOOKWAVE

• Don't forget to encourage your children to work on their Bookwave books!!  The deadline for final submission is Tuesday, January 31st.  You will have  MLK weekend to work on them but please start early so the children are not rushed.  If you need any extra pages or have questions, please contact Marissa Song at marissasong@gmail.com.
• Save the Date:  Bookwave Blast will be Thursday, March 16th 6-8pm at the MPR.  This is the event where all the children's books will be displayed . We hope to line up a guest author to make the event extra special.
• For parents who did not order Bookwave packages for their kids or would like to order packages for siblings, there is still time!  The program gives every child the chance to become a published author! Students from grades K-6 can experience the joy and satisfaction of creating their very own book and then seeing it printed and bound into a keepsake they’ll treasure forever. In the spring, after the books are printed, we’ll celebrate by displaying everyone’s work at a big party, complete with refreshments and prizes a. If you would like your child to participate, please provide a check for $10 made out to Almond PTA with your child's name, grade and teacher.  There will be a bin in the office for Bookwave checks.  Learn more about the program here.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

S​creenagers Film Showing:Growing Up in the Digital Ag​e

• Through surprising insights from authors and brain scientists, solutions emerge as to how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world.
• Tuesday, January 31, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm showings at MV​HS
• ​Registration    https://screenagersfilm.eventbrite.com​

Reset Your Child's Brain: Reversing the Effects of Electronic Scree​n T​i​me

• Victoria Dunckley​, MD, ​Speak​ing​ ​as a follow up to Screenagers, will discuss how regular screen time impacts our brain functions and how addressing screen-related side effects can provide dramatic improvements in emotional regulation, academic performance, and social interactions​.
• ​Tuesday February 7th,​ ​7:00 pm , MVH​S, Registration    https://vdunckley.eventbrite.com​
• ​Due to the generosity of our sponsors, admission is free to ​​MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series ​eve​nts.
•  

WANT TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THE THURSDAY WORD?

Send announcements to us at AlmondThursdayWord@lasdschools.org by 12:00pm Monday, for that week's Word. Keep your announcements brief and, if applicable, send a PDF version of any flyer or additional information to be posted on the website.

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