Principal's March Message

Spring conjures so many images for those of us who live in CNY…black snow, mud and thermometers holding at freezing. But I think we can all agree that we do breathe a collective sigh just saying the word spring! Spring also brings the annual cycle of New York State Testing.  The dates for testing this year are as follows:

Grades 6-8 ELA – April 1-3

Grades 6-8 Math – April 30, May 1-2

Grade 8 Science – May 28 (performance) and June 2 (written)

It is very important the every student is in school and on time during the testing process. We begin testing at 7:40 a.m. each day. Students who are late can’t be admitted to the classroom and will have to wait in the office. Although we do have a small make-up window, students simply perform better if they take the test during the regularly scheduled days.  A good night’s rest, breakfast and extra hydration help students perform better as well. Please take this opportunity to check your calendar and reschedule any appointments that your child may have. We rely on the best instruction, day in and day out, as preparation for these assessments. Our students are ready!

"Go study!" Do you ever say that to your children? I sure did. In retrospect, I am sure I just expected them to get their work done without really giving a thought about them becoming more independent and reflective students.  Given the sometimes hectic nature of a school year, it is important to teach students how to study effectively and strategically.  Our faculty recently read an article from American Educator that summarized what studying techniques give students the biggest boost. We were surprised to learn that many of the strategies our students use are not particularly helpful, highlighting, rereading and summarizing among them. In fact, when we ask students how they studied for a test they often mention one of those three strategies. Here are three strategies that are effective and that you can reinforce with your children at home:

1.       Distributed Practice – This is just a fancy way of saying "don’t cram."  Although cramming might help reinforce concepts in the short-term, it doesn't allow for information to be retained over long periods of time. Multiple study sessions over a longer period of time allows students to really own information. Parents can help by discussing how many session they may need to prepare for an exam, when those sessions should take place and what exactly they will review at each session.

2.       Use a Study Planner – Students use a daily planner to record assignments here at school. It would also be helpful to have a larger calendar, with each day of the month visible at one time, for students to note after school practices, games, and other obligations. In this way they will be able to see where they have chunks of distributed time for practice. Those chunks should be scheduled into their study planner and will allow for an early bedtime during the week!

3.       Self-Explanation – When your children were little, did they ever ask "why?"  Try to tap into that question in this strategy. Students should not  just  regurgitate facts. They should be able to explain why something is true or not. They might ask themselves  questions like:

Why did I just decide to do x?

What does this sentence mean to me?

What new information does this sentence provide?

How does this relate to what I already know?

Spring is the time to enjoy the sunshine that will surely come. It is also the time to renew our commitment to learning…for today and for all the seasons to come. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our concerts, athletic fields and other school events.

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth