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Raider communications!

STAAR Testing

MAP Spring Testing Window, May 6-17

What is the MAP Growth assessment?

NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is a computer-adaptive test that assists teachers in accurately measuring what students know and are ready to learn next. Regardless of grade level, MAP allows educators to measure growth over time and supports parents in tracking their student's progress throughout the school year and across multiple years. Click HERE for more information.

How often will my student take the MAP test?

In 5th through 8th grade, teachers administer the MAP assessment in the classroom during a testing window in the Fall (September), Winter (January), and Spring (April).

MAP tests are given in Math (Number Sense, Computation, Algebraic Concepts, Geometry, Measurement, Statistics), Reading (Word Meaning, Literary Concepts, Information Concepts), Science (Life Science, Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences), and Language Usage (Mechanics, Parts of Speech, Usage, Writing Process).

How do teachers use MAP Growth scores?

Teachers can use the scores to plan the next steps in instruction, personalize learning, and monitor the growth of individual students. Principals and administrators can use the scores to see the performance and progress of a grade level or school.

NWEA provides schools with norms by utilizing anonymous data from more than 10 million students across the US. Knowing the top, middle, and bottom scores of these students allows teachers to compare where your student is to other students and help them grow.

How can families find more information about student MAP Growth scores?

As soon as the MAP testing window is completed, the MAP score report is posted in the student's Skyward Portfolio. Available information includes: RIT score and percentile, comparison to district grade-level average and national grade-level average, growth and growth projection. Additional information about accessing your student’s test scores in HPISD is available HERE.

How can families help students prepare to do their best on MAP assessments?

Although the MAP test is not a test that you study for, like all tests students can be best prepared by being well rested, eating a healthy breakfast, and having the mindset to do their best. These tests are untimed, so students should take their time to read the reading passages and test questions carefully and give their best effort. This will give the best chance for a valid achievement and growth measure on the assessment.

Likewise, consistent school attendance and engagement in classroom instruction has the greatest impact on learning the reading, math, and science standards tested on the assessments.

In addition to achievement and growth scores and percentiles reported, other information is also available: time spent on the test, percentage of guessing, and percent of items correct.

What it is Like to Take a MAP Growth Test - Michael's Story (video)

Please contact your student's school counselor for more information or to discuss your student's scores or school progress.

TAG Testing Results Available on Skyward

Spring TAG assessment results have been posted to Skyward Portfolios.  For instructions on how to access your student's TAG assessment results, please click HERE.

Letter from the Principal

Dear Raider Families,

This week we welcomed 4th grade families planning for the transition to McCulloch after hosting the 4th graders who visited for tours of the building. It is hard to believe it was just a year ago when our current 5th graders entered the building with questions and curiosity about how they were going to find their way around the building, how they were going to open their lockers, and whether they were going to make any new friends in their advisory and house.  And it is hard to believe that in just a few weeks we will be launching our 6th graders on to the middle school, confident and prepared for the next chapter of their educational career.

We often ask students what they thought was going to be hard, and what they realize now is easy for them. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and agency to know that they have grown and are resilient. We ask them about some of their favorite things about McCulloch; in addition to the great cafeteria food, they tell us they like changing classes, meeting new people and making new friends from other elementary schools, and being part of a large school community with lots of activities to join. We recognize that we are still at the beginning of their development as independent young adults as we support skills that will support them in the future:

• Adaptability: Students need to adapt to a new environment, new teachers, a new set of expectations, and often new friends.
• Communication: Effective communication to express their needs is vital as students make transitions into new, unfamiliar situations.
• Organization: As young adolescents gain and seek more independence and begin to handle multiple responsibilities, their ability to organize themselves will have a large impact on their ability to fully participate in learning.
• Prioritization: Knowing how to prioritize schoolwork along with extracurricular activities will support students as they navigate their ever-expanding freedoms and responsibilities.
• Time Management: Students become more responsible for their own time in more ways than they were before. They need to figure out how to manage the time they spend on classwork and homework.
• Teamwork: Students need to manage multiple team experiences, including different groups in different classes throughout the day and work within a team in an extracurricular activity.
• Self Advocacy: In new situations, sometimes we don't know what is expected or how to do something, and self-advocacy helps us identify and ask for the information or guidance we need. Students need to know how to best express their needs so they can truly feel belonging and significance in their new environment.

Our students have grown immeasurably in all these areas, and will continue to develop these skills necessary for success later in school and in life. As they become more independent and mature, they are also gaining confidence and skills for life.

Thank for for helping us raise healthy and well-rounded kids.  It is a privilege to see them grow.

Go Raiders!

Dr. Skip Moran, Principal

McCulloch Intermediate School

morans@hpisd.org (214) 780-3500

6th Grade End of Year Activities

6th graders will have a unique opportunity to participate in a service project and field day activity to celebrate the end of school year as they "Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve" from McCulloch Intermediate School. We will need parent volunteers to help with our end of the year service project, packing meals for Feed My Starving Children, on Thursday, May 23. Please click HERE to sign up for a volunteer position with your student's house or to help set up or take down.

5th and 6th Grade End-of-Year Lunch

5th and 6th Grade

FRIDAY, MAY 24

Domino’s Cheese Pizza and a cupcake will be provided by the PTO

and served during lunchtime. 

(Raider Café closed on Friday, May 24)

Volunteers who signed up on advisory teacher’s signup.com to bring an item for End-of-Year Lunch are permitted and encouraged to come help during lunchtime. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate parents in the cafeteria who are not volunteers. 

Signup.com Questions? Please reach out to your Advisory Room Parent(s) or click on your House link below to view End-of-Year Lunch volunteer opportunities for your advisory class.

5th GRADE:

House of Agnew

House of Davidson

House of Lockhart

House of Malcolm

6th GRADE:

House of Baxter

House of Brodie

House of Buchanan

House of Dunbar

House of Johnstone 

5th Grade Lunch at 10:40 am

Volunteers arrive promptly in Cafeteria at 10:20 am

6th Grade Lunch at 11:15 am

Volunteers arrive promptly in Cafeteria at 11:00 am

If volunteer is unable to attend, items may be dropped off at MIS Front Office by 10:00am on Friday, May 24. Please clearly label item(s) with grade level and advisory teacher. Please make sure student drops off to the front office in the morning. If your student has dietary restrictions please click HERE by Wednesday, May 15.



Questions? Please contact MIS PTO President, Courtney Gerstenhaber at mispresident@mishpmspto.org.

Letter from the Principal

Hello Parents and Families,

We had another great week at HPMS. Our 8th grade students worked hard this week taking their science and social studies STAAR tests. Next Wednesday is our last STAAR test of the school year. We have many end-of-year performances and events coming up in the month of May, and during the last week of school 7th and 8th graders all take final exams. We only have four weeks left of school. Please help us by ensuring your student comes to school every day and all day; we still have a lot to accomplish, and attendance is very important this time of year. As always, thank you for your support.

• 7th & 8th grade Math STAAR - Wednesday, 5-1 (All students need to bring their lunch) - Lunch will not be served in the cafeteria.

Please click HERE for more information about STAAR testing.

Our Skill Focus for next week is "Doing your best on STAAR."

Doing Your Best on STAAR

1. Look at your task (STAAR).
2. Think about the skills, strategies, and concepts you need to apply to be successful.
3. Focus all of your attention on your exam.
4. Take your time.
5. Do not stop working until you are finished or told to stop.
6. Go back and check your work / answers.
7. If you need help, raise your hand.

Attendance this week: Being Here Every Day and On time is so important.

Our mission at HPMS is to ensure high levels of learning and personal growth for all Raiders in and beyond the classroom. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission!

As always, please let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Congratulations Raider Drama and the Cast and Crew of The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition

Congratulations to the cast and crew of The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition on a fantastic show run! Spongebob (Brooks Buis), Patrick (Zach Zantop), Sandy (Margaret Bickel), and the entire cast journeyed together to save the fate of Bikini Bottom and told the story of an unexpected hero and the power of friendship. This fun, colorful, and entertaining show made a splash with audiences and brought smiles to so many faces!

A HUGE thank you to Directors Genevieve Croft and Shannon Howerton, Musical Director Katie McDaniel, Choreographer Joi Duncan, Assistant Director Dalton Glenn, Show Chairs Margarita Coale and Pamela Critcher, and our creative team and parent volunteers, who worked tirelessly on this amazing show. It was the BEST DAY(S) EVER!

Special thanks to HP Arts and Raider Drama Booster Club for their generous donations that made this show possible.

Raider Choir Performance

Please join Raider Choir as they boogie through hits from decades of the past. Admission is free!

Please congratulate your HPMS Boys soccer team on two exciting wins this week at Highlander Stadium!

The Gold Team won 1-0. With great movement from Sean Matthews and Matt Friedman, Marco Primavera was able to use great skill to score the only goal with only 30 seconds left in the game!

The Red Team won 3-2. After Santiago Rio Perez scored early for the Raiders, they fell down 2-1 at half. Into the second half, Davis Bristow made great runs to equalize 2-2. With less than 2 minutes left, Alonso Cosme's corner kick was kept in the box by a header from Gavin Thornfield. After chaos in the box, Davis Bristow was able to snag the winning goal with 90 seconds left!

Our teams found a way to win in true Highland Park fashion!

Thank you to our Room Parent Chairs, Murphey Sears, Leslie Singleton, Melissa Johnston, and Meredith Sarracino, for coordinating and communication with our Room Parents all year! We could not ask for a better Room Parent Team!

We are so grateful to the Finance Committee for the reports that are thoughtfully provided by each Treasurer: Tracy Cohen, Kelley Curtin, Allison Lockard, Christine Lee, Paige Deskin, Marcy O’Connor, Lauren Haig, and Julie Melihercik. Thank you ladies, for all the work you have done this past school year!

Thank you to Sara Taub for delivering treats and appreciation to our Campus Administrative Assistants! Our MIS/HPMS Administrative Assistants keep our schools informed, organized and ready for each day.

Thank you so much! Thank you for the leadership of Kitsy Smith, MIS President-Elect, for coordinating the two in-person transition meetings for parents from 4th to 5th grade. The new Raider parents will be informed and ready for next year! Also, thank you to Kristin Evans, Margaret Kelley, Jill Morrison, Gretel Shipley, Allison Small, and Rachel Stephens for speaking at the meetings and rallying volunteers for the cafeteria and other 5th grade volunteer opportunities and for speaking about Raider Challenge. Next year will be so much fun year for everyone!

Thank you for the Apparel Chairs-Elect, Deanna Carrell and Mary Chaney Spencer, for designing, distributing and selling transition t-shirts at the transition meetings. Everyone also had fun purchasing Raider spirit wear, thanks to Nancy West and Jacque Green and Destin Shore and Erika Yeaman, from the Raider Shop. The pop-up looked adorable!

HP Colorguard Tryouts

Attention 8th Grade Raiders! Do you like to perform? Do you like to dance? Do you want to make new friends? Then come join HP Colorguard!

HP Colorguard will be having try-outs on May 1-3 in the High School Band Hall from 4:00pm-5:30pm. Please be sure to wear athletic attire and enter through door W14. No experience is necessary and everyone is welcome.

Questions? Please contact Andrea Anderson at camay0609@gmail.com.

HP Bass Team

Interested in joining the HP Bass Team next year? We'd love to have you!

Current 8th graders are invited to come to our HP Bass Team meeting on Monday, May 6th at 6:00pm at Fishin' World. Parents are welcome to stay, too!

Parents, please join us at our Informational Parents' Meeting on Wednesday, May 8th at 7:30pm at 3343 Bryn Mawr to learn about what the HP Bass Team offers and the different opportunities to be a member.

Questions? Please contact Lindsey Brown at lindseycbrown@yahoo.com

Scots Aquatics Camp

Get ready to make a splash this summer at the Highland Park Aquatics Camp! We are thrilled to announce our exciting sessions designed to enhance swimming, water polo, and springboard diving skills while creating lasting memories in the pool.

For more information, please click HERE.

Lady Scots Softball Camp

Lady Scot Xtreme Volleyball Camp

Highland Park Scot Volleyball Camp

May 28 - May 31, 2024

Highland Park High School

Entering 2nd-6th: 8:00am - 10:30am

Entering 7th-9th: 10:30am - 1:00pm

Register on line by visiting www.scotsillustrated.com/HTcamps and click "Register" on the correct session for your camper. Grade levels refers to your camper's incoming class for the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, please click HERE.

Questions? Please contact Michael Dearman at dearmam@hpisd.org.

HP Boys Soccer Camp

Raiders Reaching Out

Raiders Reaching Out is ready to serve our Raider students, families, and staff in need of support and to honor those who go above and beyond to serve our school and children. Please let us know if you know someone in our Raider community who needs some sunshine sent their way! You can email us confidentially raidersreachingout@mishpmspto.org.

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McCulloch Intermediate & Highland Park Middle School