MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER - April 19th, 2021
April 19
The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) testing window begins this week for middle school. It is imperative that your child is on time to school as we can’t allow students to enter the classroom once testing has begun. It is also equally important that students get a solid night’s rest as well as a healthy breakfast before testing. Please help encourage your child to do both of these things. During testing your child will not be permitted to keep their cell phone or electronic devices on their person. Their teacher will collect their phone or electronic devices at the beginning of testing and lock them up until testing has concluded for the day. Your child has been made aware of this policy but we would appreciate you reviewing this with them as well. Our students have worked so hard all year to learn and master their grade level content. State testing is nothing more than an opportunity for them to demonstrate how much they’ve grown in a year. At the middle school level in particular, state test scores are important as they are one factor that can influence both high school admission and the classes students are able to take in high school. So please encourage your child to do his or her absolute best and take these tests seriously. Below are a few tips that might be helpful to review with your child before testing begins.
Tip #1: Teach your child that visuals are part of the text.
Students are often required to gather information from photos, captions, drawings, charts, and graphs. You can help by teaching your child to look at all of these materials as part of the total text.
Tip #2: Help your child know how to use text-based support in written responses.
Most of the constructed-response items on the MAP assessments have two parts or require children to explain or show how they arrived at their answers. Children will receive only partial credit for answers to questions that are not supported with specific details or that do not contain an explanation.
Tip #3: Teach your child to preview the test before starting.
Planning the test time will allow your child to pace himself while he is working and decrease stress.
Tip #4: Teach your child to identify all parts of a question.
Teach your child to identify exactly what each question is asking. Some questions have multiple parts, which are often combined into a single sentence with a single question mark at the end. The child should underline each question word (who, what, when, where, why, how and any other word or phrase that indicates a question). By doing so, she can see if a question has multiple parts. Not answering all parts of a multi-part question is a common error.
Tip #5: Teach your child to paraphrase test items, turning questions into statements.
Teach your child to turn questions into statements. The child may underline the question words as described above, and then turn each part of the item into a statement. For example, the question, "Why did the main character play with the ball?" could be rephrased as "The main character played with the ball because ..." This practice allows the child to phrase the question in a way that makes the most sense to him. He is then ready to read the passage and look for answers.
Tip #6: What can a parent or guardian do to ensure successful assessment for their student?
Be aware of the testing schedule.
Be certain that your child has had adequate rest.
Be on time for school.
Avoid scheduling appointments that can be done at a later date.
Have a positive attitude.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Kindly,
Kim
314.645.9600 (607)~kwright@premiercharterschool.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Dear Parents and Families,
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so for April’s social-emotional learning lesson, the middle school counselors spoke with each home base about how to prevent child abuse and the warning signs of child abuse. Abuse is when an adult or another child or teen hurts you on purpose. There are four types of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Abuse can happen by strangers, and it can also happen by people who you love and trust. During the lesson, students learned the 5 safety rules: Know What’s Up, Spot Red Flags, Make a Move, Talk it Up, and No Blame No Shame.
We encourage you to have conversations with your children about what they can do to be safe in the world and online! For more information on how to talk to your kids about staying safe, check out https://www.mbfpreventioneducation.org/for-parents. If you or someone you know is in need of help, reports of abuse can be made to any PCS staff member in writing, email, by phone or in person. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Deason or Mrs. Abel (Niehoff)!
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Kalyn Abel
PCS Middle School Counselor
(314) 645-9600 (Ext. 412)