Thursday Newsletter

There is no doubt that school is finally back in session!  Perhaps one of the most significant signs that summer is over and school is once again full blown is the week of standardized testing.  In many ways that week – next week – marks the real start of school. Up to this point teachers and students are getting to know each other, each other’s expectations and demands, each other’s needs and, well, quirks, if you will.  Teachers rarely assign their most challenging school work in this first month of school, rarely assign their most daunting projects, rarely assign students to reading or math groups.  It really is a time of getting to know one another; the younger the student the more time is given to this period of transition and social-emotional understanding.  And then, suddenly 1st quarter progress reports are almost due!    

But first the 2nd through 8th graders must endure a week of ITBS testing.  It is our wonderfully high scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills that made us eligible to even be considered for the national Blue Ribbon of excellence award.  (Please note, that now we are all a little nervous about having such lofty standards to maintain!)  As many of our parents already know, the testing time is set not by SMOS but by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. All of our Catholic elementary and middle schools will test next week.  At some point in November each school will receive a copy of the testing results for the Archdiocese as a whole.  Typically the scores for each subject area are in the top quartile (75th percentile and above).  Typically the scores change very little from year to year because the results are the compilation of some 2000 students from across the Archdiocese; the greater the number of students testing year to year the less the variation in testing scores from year to year.  When we compare an individual class’s average score from year to year it might vary significantly based on 1 or 2 students leaving that class or joining that class.   
Besides when to test, the Archdiocese determines whom to test.  We are required to test 4th, 6th and 8th graders yearly.  Most of our schools test 2nd through 8th; some test 1st and some even test kindergartners.  We have chosen not to test 1st graders, primarily because the results are so skewed and because the testing process itself is so demanding and so unlike how we teach and assess learning – especially in 1st grade! 
Come late October or early November when the ITBS results have arrived, I will take some time in a newsletter to write about how we at SMOS use that information.  Parents will receive the results of their children’s testing at the November parent teacher conference.

How do we prepare our students for ITBS testing?
In each of the grades some small amount of time is given over to speaking to the students about how to approach the standardized tests: to read the questions thoroughly, to read the answers thoroughly, to use a process of elimination and then to discern the most likely answer.  Most importantly students are encouraged to work steadily, to not daydream, and to go back over each of the questions thoroughly and carefully using every possible moment allowed to them.  In fact, during testing week students are not allowed to do any pleasure reading when they have finished a testing section and there is still time left.  It is our best attempt at encouraging (coercing!) students to go back over their work.  In preparation for standardized testing a testing schedule is created.  It’s purpose is threefold: to maintain a sort of school-wide level of quiet during testing times; to design a schedule that takes into account the student’s need to relax, physically and mentally, between testing; and to allow for those students who need special accommodations to comfortably access those accommodations.  Given all that we do the days just before testing and the week of testing, it is what we do day in and day out throughout the previous school year that best prepares our students for standardized testing.

How do parents prepare their children for standardized testing?
Please try to maintain a stable eating and sleeping schedule for the week.  As the mother of five, I know first hand how difficult this is.  I also know how essential healthy food and a full night’s sleep is to cognitive development.  On our part, you will notice that precious little homework is given next week!  That’s so you can still get your child to music and sports practices, have a healthy dinner, a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast and back for testing the next day.
Students at all grade levels are encouraged to bring a healthy snack for the morning, at all times throughout the year, but even more so during testing week.  I recommend something with lots of protein.  Can you tell I believe that what we eat feeds our brains!  On our part, we will give our students ample time and activities during testing week to eat those snacks, to fully relax and to rev their brains up before the next test ensues.
Finally, help your child come to find the balance that allows him or her to go into testing with strong concentration and focus and very little anxiety and worry. 
Although we place a huge emphasis on ITBS testing next week, it is not more important than each student’s daily effort given to thinking and learning. 

Testing Week
All that is asked is that to the best of each child’s ability, he or she sustains full effort for 5 or 6 days of 20 to 40 minute segments of intense concentration in an atmosphere of complete silence.  Yikes, no wonder standardized testing week feels so demanding!  Go out for ice cream next week, take some time to play a board game together, watch a very funny movie – your child will need some down time.

Other information and announcements…

SNIA news:  South City Rides – Shaw/Southwest Garden
                       Neighborhood Bike Ride for CommUNITY!
                       Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011
Meet at the west end of Tower Grove Park
9:45 a.m. – Gathering at Tower Grove Park
10 – 11 a.m. – Quick community program followed immediately by bike ride!
11 – 12 noon – Bike Rodeo, face painting, community idea tree, basic bike maintenance class, bike demos @ The Word on Shaw (Tower Grove and Shaw)

Meet neighbors!  Show community pride! Make a friend! Bring a friend! Say YES to peace!  See  SouthCityRides@gmail.com or call Andy at 314-270-2276 for info.

St. Margaret of Scotland Athletic Association News: 
Basketball registration is here!!!!

If your child, grade 3 – 8 is interested in playing basketball, we have opened our on-line registration. To sign up, you must access our webpage by clicking on the link (http://ezrosters.com/stl-stmos).  The registration fee is $50 per sport per child, which can be paid online. Deadline to register is October 1.

Players must register and pay activity fee during this period to be included on final rosters.

Once you are on our webpage, you can find directions on loading your family information.  If you have already registered, you will just need to log on. We recommend loading all children even if they do not play basketball. After you have completed loading the family information, you can sign up.  Please remember that the grade levels are for the 2011-2012 school year.  If you loaded your information in the spring or fall, please review all of your information to make sure that it is still up to date.

Contact Ryan Jensen for more information:  649-7667

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