Winter Is Here!

Winter decided to arrive while we were on Thanksgiving Break!  Please make sure your students are dressed appropriately for the weather each day.  Coats, hats, gloves (boots for snow), etc. are needed each day for recess.  Students will be going outside until the air temperature or wind chill reach zero degrees.  If a student is not dressed properly for the weather, he or she will not be allowed to go outside and a proper winter attire reminder will be sent home.  It is important for students to get a bit of fresh air, some physical activity, and a chance to work on their social skills during the school day.  Daily recess provides time for students to get all of these things.  If your child does not have a winter coat or other attire, please contact me and I will help you find the things you need.  

Free Dress Day for Quarter 2 has been changed to Friday, December 7^th.  Students can bring in their Free Dress Day money to their teachers starting on Monday, December 3^rd.

Please check out the home page of the Eagle Ridge website for information on two community service projects at ERA.  We are collecting for Toys for Tots and doing a Mitten Drive.  Both are very worthwhile projects to benefit children in the Twin Cities area. 

Please remember the building opens for students at 7:30 a.m.  Please do not drop your student off before that time unless you have arrangements with a teacher to work with your child in the morning.  There is not guaranteed staff in the building until 7:30 and we want to make sure all students are supervised in the morning.  Thank you!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Safety First...

The Eagle Ridge Academy Community had a wonderful Veterans Day celebration last Friday.  The band played delightfully and it was a treat to have our own Mr. Ulbrich be the guest speaker.   The 3^rd grade also took some time on Friday to honor their own good citizens and learn from two Marines (one of them was Mrs. MacNevin’s husband) stationed in Minnesota.  Below are a few pictures from the events.

 

For safety’s sake please do not drive and park in front of school buses at school bus stops to keep the bus from leaving.  The bus drivers have a set time to leave the stop  in order to get all students on the bus to Eagle Ridge Academy on time.  They must adhere to their schedule.  It is quite dangerous to block the bus in order to get your student(s) on the bus as it is leaving.  

On another transportation note, ½ day kindergarten parents are being asked to leave out the entrance each day between 12:00 and 12:30.  We have recess in the front parking lot and an upper school PE class that has been using the side of the school for outdoor activities.  In order to keep those students out of the way of cars, we are asking ½ day kindergarten parents to leave through the entrance.  I want all parents to be aware this is happening if you happen to come to school during this time period.   Please note this is the ONLY time of day this is acceptable.  Do not go out the entrance at pick up to avoid waiting in line. I saw several cars do this at pick up on Friday and was quite disappointed to see it happen.  Remember not everything can be designed for convenience, but it is all designed with safety in mind.    Thank you for keeping all the members of the Eagle Ridge Community safe when in your vehicle on school grounds.

Notes and Reminders

• Friday (11/16) is Spirit Wear Day for all students.

• There is no school next Wednesday (11/21), Thursday (11/22), and Friday (11/23) due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Have a delightful week!

Mrs. Baier

Honoring our Veterans

As you may know, it is a tradition to honor our Veterans at a Veterans Day Ceremony at Eagle Ridge Academy.  This year the ceremony is scheduled for this Friday, November 9th.  We will be breaking the ceremony into three separate celebrations by grade level.  Below you will find the schedule of our Veterans Day ceremonies.  Please note it is also tradition that students come to school in formal uniform dress on for the ceremony.  Parents and guests are welcome at the ceremonies.  Space may be tight, but we will come together as a community to celebrate the individuals who have sacrificed to serve our country.

Veterans Day Ceremony Celebration Schedule: 
8:10-8:40am - Gr. 4-6 
8:55-9:25am - Gr. K-3 
9:40-10:10am - Gr. 7-12 
Each ceremony will be held in the lunchroom. 

 

Have a great week!
Mrs. Baier

School Year Vacations...

Many parents have been asking about student vacations from school due to trips.  If you are requesting to take a trip, we ask you fill out the Vacation Prior Approval  Request Form found on the website.  You can find a copy of the Eagle Ridge Academy Attendance Policy on the website under handbooks and policies. (http://www.eagleridgeacademy.org/handbooks.html)  Please note requests of over 14 days are not likely to be approved.  The Department of Education requires public schools to drop enrollment of students who are absent for 15 consecutive days from school (excused or unexcused).  In the case of most public schools, they can easily re-enroll students upon their return.  Eagle Ridge Academy has a waiting list for enrollment.  If a student is dropped from our enrollment, we are required to fill the spot with a student from the waiting list.  If your family chooses to take a vacation for 15 or more consecutive days, you will likely not have a spot when you return for your student.  I have been communicating this with individual families as vacations are requested, but want to make sure everyone has the same information. 

Please remember when removing your child from school for any number of days, the experience in the classroom cannot be replicated.  Teachers are also not always able to gather all work prior to an absence.  While I believe there are many important learning experiences for students outside of the classroom, I just ask families to be judicious when scheduling vacations during the school year.

Notes/Reminders

·         There is a Lower School Coffee with Administrators in the lunchroom at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 30^th.

·         Students may wear their Halloween socks with their regular uniforms on Wednesday, October 31^st.

·         There is no school for students on Friday, November 2^nd.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier

Testing and Assessment

Testing and Assessment…

Those are two big time education buzz words in this day and age.  As parents I know you hear a lot about testing and assessment. There are two main types of assessment formative assessment and summative assessment.  Formative assessment is a type of informal assessment used by teachers in the classroom.  Anytime a teacher is assessing the learning of a student it is considered a formative assessment.  It can be something as simple as a problem on a whiteboard with the teacher quickly assessing understanding.  This is an easy way for teachers to gather data to drive the instruction of the whole class, small groups, or individual students on a daily basis.  Summative assessment is a more formalized way of assessing understanding.  Quizzes and tests would be considered examples of summative assessments. 

At Eagle Ridge three main tests are given, the MCA tests in the spring, NWEA, and DDI (data-driven instruction). The one you may be the most familiar with is the MCA test.  It is the state of Minnesota’s Comprehensive Assessment.  MCA testing is done in the Lower School for grades 3-5. It is a test of academic proficiency. Students in grades 3 and 4 take reading and math MCA tests.  students in grade 5 take reading, math, and science.  The tests usually occur in April or May and may involve paper/pencil or online testing.  Results are not usually available until summer and may be sent home during the summer or after the start of the new school year.

The NWEA test is a test that is given online and is to measure academic growth of students.  It is a nationally normed test that can be given three times a year.  Last year students at ERA took the test in the spring.  This year the plan is to have them take it in the fall and again in the spring.  The school will be able to see spring to spring and fall to spring growth.  The results of this assessment will be sent home to parents once the reports are available at the end of the testing window.  You should receive the fall NWEA testing reports in November.  The students are taking their NWEA tests this week in math and next week in reading.  

DDI stands for "data-driven instruction." Teachers use their DDI assessments to help them make sure they are covering all of the standards for each grade level in math and reading.  The DDI assessments are just for classroom use and the results are not sent home with students.  Teachers create and grade the tests.  They meet as a grade level with an administrator to analyze the data and chart a course of action for the whole class, small groups, or individual students.  Teachers analyze the results and see where they may need to change or repeat instructional topics or adjust the pace of instruction.  The benefits of using DDI in the classroom are phenomenal for student achievement.  DDI assessments are generally given quarterly leading up to the MCA tests in the spring.  

I hope this brief overview helps you understand the different types of assessment typically used at Eagle Ridge Academy.  

Notes and Reminders

-Picture Retakes are on Wednesday, October 24^th.  Please make sure your student wears formal uniform dress.  The requirements for formal uniform dress are on the website.  

-Friday, October 26^th is a Spirit Wear Day for the entire Eagle Ridge Community.

-There will be a Coffee with Administrators for Lower School parents on Tuesday, October 30^th at 8:00 a.m.

- Students may wear Halloween socks on Wednesday, October 31^st.  The rest of their outfits must be regular uniform dress.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Baier

An apple a day...

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.  ~Sydney J. Harris

One of those windows this past week was opened by the Kindergarten students as they learned about apples from an expert that visited from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.  The students followed the life of an apple from flower to fruit.  They also learned about pollination and why bees are the hardest workers in an orchard. The students were actively involved in their learning and behaved so wonderfully for our guest.  Here are a couple of pictures from Ms. Palm’s class during their presentation and their labeled flowers hanging in the hallway.

Please remember there is NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday due to MEA break.

Picture retakes are on Wednesday, October 24^th.  Remember it is formal dress uniform for pictures.  If you received pictures but would like to have them retaken, please send in the old pictures with your student that day.

Afternoon pick up reminders:

·        Please do not enter the passing lane for pick up until 2:45.  We need to have a lane clear       until that time for passing.

·         Please make sure to be aware of students when moving your car forward.  For the safety of students please use consideration when using cell phones in the pick-up lane.

Pick up has been going much more smoothly with the last wave of cars gone between 3:30 and 3:35.  We appreciate your help in making dismissal a much better process.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier