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volume 7 issue 7 march 2012 the beal news reel a word from our pr incipal this march edition of the beal newsreel focuses on the upcoming mcas testing in which all students in grades 3 4 5 will participate later this month additional testing for these students will also take place in the middle of may the english language arts ela mcas test consists of two sessions for all grades grade 4 students will also have an additional 2 sessions to write their ela composition this portion of the testing will take place on tuesday march 20th for all fourth grade students throughout the state the remaining ela sessions will focus on reading and answering multiple choice questions or writing an open response please check the calendar to find out when your child will be tested the math portion of the mcas test for grades 3 4 5 will be administered in may also grade 5 will be tested in science technology after the math sessions our grade k-5 lep students will take the mepa test during the week of march 5-9 lep students in grades 3-5 will take their test online on another note the parent information center pic will be accepting early kindergarten registration magnet school applications from march 523 for more information on springfield s magnet school programs call kathe harbour at 787-7478 or check the sps website for more information special points of interest 3/3­ mcaa basketball game 3/5­ pto meeting 6:30pm 3/5-3/23­ middle school registration 3/6 20­ book club 3/14­ symphony­ gr 4 3/19­ mcas testing begins inside this issue in case you were wondering pto news test taking tips continued calendar 2 2 2 3 tips for parent a nd stude nts on test taking parents play a very important role in their child s education we all know there are direct ways to support children such as checking homework and asking about what they learned in school each day we don t always realize that our attitudes and comments about tests and the school work also have a big impact on how our children think about school as well as the amount of anxiety they experience i have looked at several websites including testtakingtips.com and the doe­ department of education web site to find advice for parents to support and encourage their children to learn as much as they can and to do their best here are some of the tips i found provide a quiet well lighted place free from distraction to do homework and study talk to your child daily about what they learned in school and ask for test dates continued on page 2

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the beal news reel in case you were wonder ing on line registration 3/5­ 23 we are looking for a new business partner if anyone knows of a business who would be willing to become our partner please contact the school registration for kindergarten and middle school will be done on line the ballot will be available on march 5th through the 23rd you can access the ballot through the sps web site and click on the link be sure to know your child s id number and indicate if there is an older sibling at the school you are requesting you will need that child s id number as well the spring catalogue for the spa is now out it was sent to you last week you can also access it on line through the sps web site there are some really great offerings check it out pto news the next pto meeting is mon march 5th free child care is available we are working on plans for the anniversary celebration in the fall if anyone has information or ideas please come to the meeting to share we will host a free movie afternoon on saturday march 31st from 1:30 4 pm the movie puss n boots will start promptly at 2:00 pm we will have popcorn and water for sale parents must accompany their children you can bring something comfy to sit on or sit at the tables and enjoy the movie this year we have the new smart board in the gym so it ll feel just being at the movie theater plan a tea time with your child you can have a great time chatting and maybe learn something new about each other te st tak ing tips continued review school work and discuss what they had trouble with to be sure they know the correct information praise your child for their efforts when doing homework and studying the day before a test keep a positive attitude reminding your child to relax and do their best don t pressure or express anxiety to your child have your child go to bed early to get plenty of sleep have your child get up early and arrive to school on time provide a healthy breakfast­ protein and fiber a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter and some fruit with a glass of milk not high sugar cereal again encourage your child to do their best and not worry i found some information from the ma doe website they give an explanation of what open response questions are and how they are scored require students to generate rather than recognize a response students create a one or two-paragraph response in writing or in the form of a narrative or a chart table diagram illustration or graph as appropriate we should get 3-4 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day page 2 open-response questions are included on all mcas tests except the ela composition and responses to openresponse questions are scored using a scoring guide or rubric for each question the scoring guides indicate what knowledge and skills students must demonstrate

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