Finally!! No coats needed for recess.

Spring Test Dates:

• April 22 and April 23: WrAP (Writing Assessment Program) Grades 3-5
• May 6-10 CTP4: Grade 3-5
• May 7-9 Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test: Grades 1 & 2

Upper School students from Dr. Carragher's psychology class spent time observing
(and playing with) our preschool students.

Keeping Testing in Perspective

Our 5 new bridge planter boxes were built, painted and planted
with the help of first through fourth graders

Standardized testing has its values and its uses, but it needs to be kept in perspective and not allowed to take on a life of its own. Fortunately, as an independent school, we do not have to be caught up in the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) testing frenzy that currently seems to be both driving and limiting public schools across the country.

The testing that we administer in the Lower School each year does not serve to either determine our funding or our bragging rights. It is used simply to understand how our students are doing in a variety of different subject and skill areas. This is helpful in looking at the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and provides information that can allow us to most effectively help each student reach his or her potential. It also can provide us with aggregate information that can give us feedback on how well our program addresses the academic needs of our students.

Decorating a planter box

As students begin to take the PSATs, SATs and SAT IIs in the Upper School, their results will begin to have an impact on how they are viewed by colleges. However, most of the best colleges that our students apply to look well beyond students' standardized test scores and know very well the many qualities that D-E graduates have that are not easily measured by standardized test results alone. Many colleges no longer even require either SAT or ACT scores at all. With the revision to the SATs that include a writing component, the College Board is beginning to develop testing that will better measure the qualities that more accurately predict real success in college and beyond, the qualities, incidentally, which plays to the strengths of the D-E program.

As we move toward our spring standardized testing schedule we ask for your help in keeping the testing in the proper perspective. The most important thing we need from parents is to help their children take the experience in stride (deep breaths, “just do your best”, and, “its no big deal.”). A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast always help too.

We try to spread the testing out over time so that it minimizes the impact on normal instruction. Some teachers may begin to include some homework exercises that are

designed to aid review and are structured primarily to make the test formats familiar. This should not increase the amount of homework.

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Hot off the Press! The first post of Mrs. Sienicki's new Lower School Library Blog!

Historians

Hi, my name is Hannah and I am a public relations officer. Today I am going to tell you about the historians. The historians are Jai , Jonny , and Aidan . I interviewed Jai and Aidan. They said that so far the historians are videotaping interviews with different people from different jobs. Also, they told me that they are getting the opera company history exhibit ready. They also told me that their job is about documenting the process of the opera and learning the history of the opera. Lastly I asked Jai what is his favorite part about his job. Jai said his favorite part about his job is doing the opera company blog, which you can see on our D-E website. In addition Aidan said that his favorite part of the job is also interviewing other people.  I look forward to seeing their exhibit which will be in the “lobby” of Hajjar outside of the auditorium.  You will have a chance to enjoy these exhibits both before and after the opera performance.  

The Opera-tunity Blog has a new post.

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Fifth grade recently completed a technology project where students worked in groups to write a proposal for creating a movie version of a book they have read. The proposal included a summary of their idea, the actors, genre, setting and  the dialog for one scene which they acted out. Each class chose a winner and then fifth-grade teachers choose the grade winners who were Wiley  and Bea. They received awards, bookmarks and a copy of the book “Mack Made Movies” by Don Brown. Congratulations Wiley and Bea!

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We will have a dress-up day for the 5th grade opera on  Thursday, May 2nd.