Principal's Message
May 26th, 2020
Please read the content below as there is important information about the end of the year.
This week we announced how we plan on evaluating student achievement for the third trimester under Distance Learning. The decision was made to move towards Pass or Inadequate Evidence (IE) for grades in lieu of traditional letter grades. I have linked the letter we sent home here: Evaluation of Student Achievement
I would like to discuss what conversation parents should be having with their children around grades and learning.
Some students may be disappointed to receive a ‘Pass’ as a grade instead of a letter grade. This is understandable, especially given the fact that so many students have worked so hard to stay on top of all of their school work. Likewise, teachers want to recognize the hard work students have done and acknowledge students who have shown up to the zoom conferences and who have volunteered to help other students.
Assessing student achievement is one of the most difficult parts of an educators job. Students often define themselves or their intelligence around the grades they receive. This is obviously a mistake. The grade a student receives in a class should reflect the amount of effort put forth to earn that grade. Grades should also be reflective of the circumstances. For example, a student who earns a ‘B’ grade in an advanced math class, who has worked very hard for that grade should be very proud of her effort. Conversely a student who slides by in a class, putting forth minimal effort, regardless of the grade she earns, should not be particularly proud of that grade.
I would like parents to engage in a conversation with their students about why we go to school and the importance of learning (hint - it not for grades). In the past, I have written about building intrinsic motivation for our students and the pitfalls of extrinsic motivators. Unfortunately, the grades we assign students are often used for extrinsic motivation. At times, students are working for a grade instead of concentrating on their learning. This can have a deleterious effect on learning because we know that we learn better when we find a purpose in what we are doing. Working towards a 4.0 GPA is a worthy pursuit, but setting that sort of goal does not address the process of learning - where is the thirst for knowledge?
People are hardwired to learn, but not all of us are interested in learning the same things. I would love it if our decision to move toward Pass/Insufficient Evidence grading, sparked a conversation around learning. Ask you students to spend some time thinking about what they want their purpose to be - to find a purpose and then set some goals. You may be surprised at what you find. Students who connect their learning to their long term goals build intrinsic motivation. When students feel a sense of purpose and are working towards something important to them, their motivation increases exponentially. They are even much more capable of pushing through daily tasks that might seem mundane or unimportant. It is awesome to see our kids find their passion.
In education, we talk a lot about developing lifelong learners; as parents, if you try to incorporate the idea of why we learn into your conversation, you can also help your child become a lifelong learner. It is important to connect their purpose or their passions to learning. Help you children understand that they must work hard to learn the many things needed in order to be successful at what they want to do. The key is to focus on the learning. When Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is not the destination, it is the journey” I think this is what he meant.
Take the time to listen to this Podcast - Why You’ve Been Motivating Your Kids the Wrong Way
It is well worth your time.
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Winding Down the School Year
As June is fast approaching we want families to know our plans for the remainder of the year.
Teachers will not be pushing out new curriculum for students after June 1st. We will use the remainder of the school year for closure activities. Teachers will connect with students, conduct some closure projects and/or administer summative assessments. Teachers, counselors and administrators will also be reaching out to students who may need some additional support.
Students will reflect on this school year and use this time to turn in late or make-up work.
Please make sure that your student is in contact with their teachers in the time left. Continue to encourage your children to participate in zoom sessions and to reach out to teachers.
We will be sending out the material pick-up and delivery schedule at the beginning of next week.
8th grade families have received an email already with our Promotion/pick-up schedule.
Tom Domer
Principal
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May 18-22 Pride Card Drawing
Congratulations to the 96 students who received Pride Cards this week.
- 6th Grade winner: Kareena Kirpalani
- 7th Grade winner: Vicx Nelson
- 8th Grade winners: Eli Schlager
May 11-15 Pride Card Drawing
Congratulations to the 71 students who received Pride Cards this week.
- 6th Grade winner: Alex Kodl
- 7th Grade winner: Hank Brown
- 8th Grade winners: Ella Satterwhite and Jake Jones
If you are a winner, please look for an email from Mrs. Vizier to claim your prize.
Keep up the good work being Responsible, Respectful, Supportive & Safe!!
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From Your Teachers or One to Grow On!
You will not be surprised to learn that your teachers are recommending summer learning opportunities for our students. Every year we encourage students to read every day during the summer. We are also strongly recommending that students practice math everyday. Teachers suggest 20 minutes of reading and 20 minutes of math a day. Our summer reading requirements will move forward as usual. Given the circumstances of the last couple of months, we may have additional resources for families. Mr. Domer, with the help of teachers, will be pushing out these resources to help keep students on track over the summer.
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Library Books
Students can return library books to the box in front of the school office during school hours, starting today.
PTA News
PTA Zoom Meeting - May 27th at 3pm
In order to best respond to a quickly changing landscape and incorporate as much as possible when planning our budget and activities for the coming year, our final Central/Arroyo PTA Zoom Meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday 5/27 at 3pm. Please join us to connect with each other, hear from our principals, and participate in other important PTA business:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81852997474?pwd=NWFZV2NYS1lYbjZDaVB4V0ZLdkRsUT09
Meeting ID: 818 5299 7474
Password: 912967
District News
Pandemic Food Assistance Available
COVID-19 Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits will be available soon. Children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals can get up to $365 in food benefits in addition to community ‘to-go” meals. Learn more about these P-EBT food benefits: https://ca.p-ebt.org/info.https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LSfGYn8l5-K_KQ9GZSm5-bdKQ7GWrL0uT4Cr35nUfQA/edit?usp=sharing
SCEF
With our schools facing state budget cuts, your gift to SCEF is more important than ever before. SCEF is $250,000 away from our $2.8 million fundraising goal - that’s fewer than 200 gifts at the per student ask! If you have the capacity to donate now, please help us fund educator positions and whole-child programs for next school year. While our request is $1,500 per student, any and all gifts make a difference!
Donate today online at https://www.scefkids.org/donate/.
Learn more about budget cuts to California public school funding at http://www.scefkids.org/news/.
Community Partners
Parent Education Series - Virtual Parent Education Events
The Parent Education Series is a leading provider of high-quality education for parents, students, educators, and community members. The organization has reached over 70,000 attendees on critical issues-mental health, substance use, social media, and more-that impact the health, safety, and well-being of children and teens.
Check out the Parent Education Series video library of parent education workshops and presentations - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-IoSXVF_U2_R0zDaefG3Q
Learn more - https://www.seq.org/STUDENTS--PARENTS/Parent-Resources/Parent-Education-Series/index.html
Census 2020
The 2020 Census is here and you still have time to complete it. Even if you misplaced it you can still complete it online at my2020census.gov, or by phone 844-330-2020. #EveryoneCounts #SmcCounts