Making Growth

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.  ~Benjamin Franklin

Next week Lower School students will begin their annual standardized testing.  Standardized testing occurs on various dates in April and May.  Your child’s homeroom teacher will communicate the actual days your child will be testing this year.  In the Lower School students in grades 3-5 take the MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) and students in grades 1-5 will start taking the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) Assessment this year.  These assessments are designed to show the achievement and growth of students from year to year.  There is nothing you need to do to prepare your child for the test.  You can help make assessment days a success by making sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before and has a healthy breakfast in the morning.

The next Lower School Parent Coffee is on April 28^th at 8:00 am in the Main Office Conference Room.  At that event, I will go over a sample ERB parent report.  If you have a child in grades 1-5 and have never seen an ERB parent report before, you may want to come to see what it is like and have a better understanding of it prior to your child’s coming home later in the year. 

Over spring break, Mr. Anderson had an art drawing challenge.  Over 50 students completed the challenge, and Arjan (3rd gr.) and Jasmine (Kinder) were randomly selected in the prize drawing! Way to go ERA Artists!

March Pillar ticket winners had snack and free time outside with Mrs. Baier this week.  Here are some pictures of some of them enjoying their time outside.  Winners were:  Meghan B., Molly D., Aniket G., Adhiraiyan K., and Navya N.

Next week is the first of the music Informances on Thursday, April 23^rd.  Students in grades 1, 3, and 5 will be sharing what they have learned in music this year.  Times are listed below for each grade level.  They will be in the ERA Gym and all students should come in formal dress (complete with black or brown dress shoes).  This is one of those times when we are teaching children the difference between regular and formal dress for special occasions.  

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Baier