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The rough months of February and March have begun! We often feel like these are the longest months of the year. We are hopeful the real cold weather is on its way out and warmer sunnier days lie ahead.
PTO will have their next meeting on Thursday, February 16th. We meet at 3:00 pm virtually. Let me know if you would like to join us.
GDS has some exciting news! Our Physical Education department runs a biking unit. Over 10 years ago through a PEP Grant, our school received bikes. Wear and tear over the years has left the bikes in disarray. We are happy to have received a new set of Trek bikes for our students!! Bring on the the warm weather.
With February comes iReady testing. We run the iReady exams in Math and English Language Arts classes. We use this information to improve instruction, see how our students are progressing, and as one data point in determining possible math placement for students next year. iReady testing will begin during the week of February 6, 2023. The plan is for students to take the iReady exams during their scheduled Math and ELA class. We will have times for students who are missing or who need more time to complete the tests. We encourage all students to take the computer based diagnostic exams and to do their best!
We continue to have problems in the lunchroom. We have tried numerous things, including more staff, more rules, movies, competitions, but we continue to have students be inappropriate with the things they say to one another and cleaning up after themselves. When the weather gets warmer, we are going to go back to students going outside when they are done eating. More to come on this issue, but we continue to seek your help by talking with your children about their lunchroom behavior.
Our 7th graders had a great experience this week as they launched into their Socratic seminars. Students used sentence stems to cite evidence, shared their ideas in a circle process and listened intently to their peers. We feel this learning strategy helps our students grow in so many ways. Thank you Grade 7 Social Studies teachers for preparing students for their bright futures.
Thank you for being part of our school community. We always welcome your feedback.
Kris
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