October 4, 2022

Dear Fourth and Fifth Grade Parents/Guardians:

Students in fourth and fifth grade will be assessed using the Start Strong standardized assessment required by the New Jersey Department of Education on October 18 and 19. The Start Strong assessments are designed to measure student achievement in English/Language Arts (ELA) and in Mathematics. This year's Start Strong testing consists of one 60-minute unit for ELA and one 60-minute unit for Math. These assessments are administered on computers.

Please note, all students will need headphones in order to take the assessments. We are asking that each fourth and fifth grade student bring a pair of personal headphones with an aux jack connection (NOT bluetooth, USB, USB-C, etc.) to school in a Ziploc bag labeled with their name by Tuesday, October 11, as they did for the NJSLA testing last spring. These headphones will remain in your child’s classroom until the completion of testing on October 19, at which time your child will be able to take them back home. If your family is not able to provide headphones for your child for the assessments, please complete this Google Form so that we can make arrangements for your child to borrow a school-issued pair.

The skills and concepts on Start Strong are a reflection of the learning your child has encountered in the classroom to date. As students in fourth and fifth grade approach their testing period, the Dorchester staff continues to make every effort to ensure that students are prepared and confident with the concepts, as well as the digital format of the assessment.

Please make a special effort to be sure your child gets sufficient rest and arrives on time for school on these days. Also note that no outside technology is permitted in the testing rooms. For that reason, we suggest students leave their smartwatches at home on testing days.  

If you would like more information on Start Strong, please visit: https://www.woodcliff-lake.com/Content2/njsla-resources-for-parents.

As always, thank you for your support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Marsich

Stefanie Marsich

Dorchester School Principal

201-930-5600  ext. 166

[email protected]