DAYLIGHT SAVINGS -
SUNDAY, MARCH 10.
SET YOUR CLOCKS 1
HOUR AHEAD!
*************
APPLICATIONS FOR
SIBLINGS STARTING KINDERGARTEN
NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
ARE DUE NO LATER
THAN MARCH 22
Applications are in
the SMASH office and online at www.smash.smmusd.org
*************
Dear
SMASH Families,
To
sailors, the phrase “homeport” captures diverse meanings: comfort, friends,
safety, or simply the place where he rests his heart. To me SMASH is a “home
port,” a workplace that elevates mere work to a labor of love alongside stellar
partners, vibrant students, and hard working families. While in port at SMASH,
I have found joy in lasting measure and a gratifying sense of worth in
exploring the world alongside our beloved young adolescents. Warmed by this
environment, my heart expanded from the almond sized shell of my earlier years
into a cornucopia replete with marvellous kids, stimulating relationships, and
the fruits of hard work.
Like
any sailor in a fine port, I have found great friends to spend time with,
engaging projects to explore, and just
enough minor trouble to keep things interesting. The years have thundered past
as I grew ever more comfortable,
increasingly more secure, and ever more tied to the people here in my “home
port.”
Sailors
also know the sublime pleasure of setting a new course, leaving the safe
confines of port, and slipping
free
of land bound for the restive comfort of “wine dark seas.” It is in this happy
situation that I now find myself; poised to depart my homeport (SMASH) and
outward bound for new places, challenges, and adventures. As I take my leave of
full time teaching this June, I am unsure of my next destination, but equally
sure that I am returning home. In closing I want to thank you for sharing your
marvelous children with me. Without them in the world, I would feel incomplete.
I
will always be in contact and please continue to reach out to me at
kurt.holland@gmail.com.
Thanks
again,
Kurt
~ ~ ~ ~
Dear
SMASH Families,
I am
absorbing Kurt’s big news as I know many of you will need time to process the
change as well. I look forward to seeing what this next phase of Kurt and his
wife’s contributions to the world look like, and I know he is honorable when he
says he will stay connected and in touch with his SMASH family. Together as
students, staff, and parents, we will want to find ways to honor what he has
created at SMASH and celebrate with him.
For
those who are wondering what this means for SMASH staffing for next year,
please know Human Resources is working with me in figuring this out. Remember,
we have had many openings in the five years I
have
been Principal, and we have a strong history of appreciating the strengths of
those who move on to new
adventures
while embracing the assets of those we newly welcome. As soon as I know more
about staffing
for
next year, I will let you know.
In
the meantime, stay tuned for details about how and when our community will
celebrate with Kurt.
-Jessica
*************
DATES
TO REMEMBER
Fri, Mar 8 - Stairway to the Stars -
Barnum Hall
Sun, Mar 10 - Daylight Savings - Spring
Forward!
Mon, Mar 11 - 9:00-10:15am - SMASH school
tour
Wed, Mar 13 - 6:30pm - SMASH PTSA Mtg
SMASH JOG-A-THON!! Friday, March 15
Pledge Packets are due Thursday, March 14!
(Additional packets available in SMASH office)
Fri, Mar 15 - 6-8pm - Core 3 Art Exhibit
at SAMOHI Roberts Art Gallery
Fri, Mar 22 - Last day to turn in
kindergarten applications for siblings for 2013-2014 school year.
March 25 - April 5 - SPRING BREAK
*************
The SAMO Pep Squad is holding a tag sale fundraiser this
weekend
featuring gently used men's, women's, and
children's clothing, shoes and accessories.
Come and see the great bargains and
support the team!
Sunday, March 10, 8:00am - 12:00 noon
551 11th Street, Santa Monica
*************
Have you gotten your SIP To SUPPORT CARD?
SMASH is participating in the JAMBA JUICE SIP
to SUPPORT
FUNDRAISING CARD PROGRAM!
Every time you pay with your Sip to
Support card at a participating Jamba Juice, 10% of the sales gets
automatically donated to SMASH!
Extra Boosts:
• receive special Jamba rewards and
incentives
• make healthier snack choices for you and
your family
• support us without selling products or
requesting donations
· For a limited time SMASH will receive $2 for every sign up with a
load up on your card.
We can also earn an additional $150 if we
have 100 or more supporters by April 14.
· For a limited time you can load $1 onto your card and receive a
bonus $5.
That's $6 worth of Jamba Juice money for
only $1.
Go to jambajuice.marqeta.com and register for your Jamba Juice Sip to
Support Marqeta Card
*************
MAKE $$ for SMASH EACH TIME YOU HIT THE “BUY” BUTTON AT
AMAZON.COM!
Here's how:
1. Open this link: http://tinyurl.com/AMAZONSMASHPTSA
2. Bookmark the page.
3. Each time you go to Amazon, be sure to
go through this link.
4. Pat yourself on the back for putting
your dollars to work, supporting the SMASH Community.
*************
Some great SMASH Bash events are coming up that still have
space!
Please email SMASH Bash Coordinator Marni
Ayers Brady ASAP (marniayers@gmail.com) if you or your child is interested in attending.
Pancakes and Smoothies with the Principal (for everyone - but NO DROP OFFS. All kids must be supervised by parents.
March 13 (Wed) 7:45am - 8:30 $7 per person In the SMASH Cafetorium
SMASH Poker Party (Adults Only) March 16 (Sat) 4pm to ?
(location and time tbd) $40 Buy In
Marni
Ayers Brady at marniayers@gmail.com
*************
The SMASH
Jog-a-thon is next
Friday,
March 15th!
Only one
more week to get pledges!
The
Jog-a-thon schedule is as follows:
9:00 - 9:25 Core 1 (Candis) and Core 3 (Blue) Warm up
for 5 minutes & Run
9:30 - 9:55 Core 1 (Chrysta) and
Core 3 (Orange) Warm up for 5 minutes & Run
10:00
- 10:25 Core 2 (Jayme) and 7th graders (Darwin) Warm up for 5 minutes & Run
10:30
- 10:55 Core 1 (Graciela), Core 2 (Tamara) & 8th graders (Kurt) Warm up &
Run
Come
and cheer for our amazing athletes!
Don’t
miss out on this action-packed, fun-filled day at SMASH.
We
still need volunteers.
To
volunteer, contact
Lillie
Schlessinger at lillie.schlessinger@transamerica.com.
Runners,
please remember to
apply
sunscreen and wear athletic shoes!
*************
*************
Dear S.M.A.S.H. parents,
Please join us for the S.M.A.S.H PTSA
meeting on Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30pm.
Stop by and learn what's new at your
child's school. The meetings are short and sweet!
We hope you will join us.
Jamee Tenzer & David Saltzman
SMASH PTSA Co-Presidents
*************
ArtNight!
- Pasadena
March 8
from 6:00-10:00pm
Enjoy a free evening of art, music and
entertainment as Pasadena's most prominent arts and cultural institutions
swing open their doors. Last fall,
14,000 people experienced the excitement of ArtNight!
Free shuttles will loop throughout the
evening with stops at each arts venue, or you can enjoy Art Night via Bicycle! C.I.C.L.E will lead a leisurely-paced, 8 mile long ride throughout
Art Night, and will allow participants a break at each stop to tour the exhibits. If you get hungry along
the way, some of LA's favorite food trucks will be parked throughout the
area. For a full schedule, and to see the list
of participating institutions
http://www.artnightpasadena.org/?utm_source=ArtNight&utm_campaign=artnight+pasadena&utm_medium=email
*************
405 FWY
CLOSURES
The
Westbound off-ramp of the 405-South will be closed from March 9 to March 22.
For more
project information and detour maps, visit metro.net/405.
For
real-time traffic conditions, visit the Caltrans website at quickmap.dot.ca.gov.
*************
The City
of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability & the Environment,
5th
Annual Sustainable Santa Monica Student Poster Contest
open to
all K-12 students that attend school and/or live in Santa Monica!
"How
do people with disabilities access and enjoy nature in Santa Monica with their
friends and family?"
Rules and Guidelines
· Only original artwork will be accepted.
· Only one poster submission per student.
· Open to all K-12 students who live or attend school in Santa
Monica.
· Posters must be hand drawn in ink or crayon using bright colors on
white paper.
· High School (grade 9-12) students may also submit posters created
in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.
· Poster dimensions MUST be 11”x 17” (landscape /
horizontal).
· Include your Name, School, Grade, Mailing
Address, Phone Number and Email on the back of your
submission.
· All entries will become property of the City of Santa Monica,
which will hold publication rights for the winning entries.
· Entries may or may not be returned.
Submissions may be dropped off at:
Sustainable Works
Attn: Samantha Sommer, Poster Contest
1744 Pearl Street; Santa Monica CA 90405
Deadline: Friday, March 22, 2013 by 5:00pm
*************
Sustainable
Works Green Living Workshop
Join a FREE Sustainable Works Green
Living Workshop and learn how information like this will help you save
money and positively impact your family,
community, and ultimately the planet!
When: 6 Tuesday Meetings: March 12th, 19th
& 26th and April 2nd, 9th & 16th, 7pm-8:30pm
Where: Santa Monica Main Library Multipurpose Room, 601 Santa
Monica Blvd. SM 90401
Receive FREE resource saving tools
Water saving hose nozzles, Energy saving
light bulbs, Reusable shopping bags, safe cleaning supplies, healthy energy bars, and more...
Visit www.sustainableworks.eventbrite.com to reserve your space at an upcoming
workshop.
*************
Be
part of our television audience for a PBS special featuring Sir Ken Robinson
Carol King
& Michael Rose are producing a television special, featuring Sir Ken
Robinson on March 21, 2013.
They
would like you to be part of the audience.
Sir Ken
Robinson, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in the development of
education, creativity and innovation. A New York Times bestselling author, he
is also one of the world's leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences
everywhere. The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED
Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150
countries. In this his first public television special, Sir Ken will talk
about how to find your "element"
and do the work you enjoy with a sense of purpose and contentment.
In his
presentation, Sir Ken will offer advice, techniques and resources to help us
identify our talents, interests, feelings and attitudes.
“If you find
your real talents, the things you love to do, you live a life that feels the
most natural to you. You’re in your element.” ~ Sir
Ken Robinson
Most people
don’t realize what their natural talents are, or if they have any. But there
are some people who do feel they’ve found what they’re good at
and love the lives they lead and love the talents they’ve discovered. They’re
in their element. Sir Ken will talk about the
difference between these two ways of being and the difference it makes in your life.
He’ll talk
about discovering your talents and how it transforms the way you live and the
value and benefit you feel you have in your life and the way if
affects the people around you as well.
He’ll talk about what it really means to
be in your element, and he’s going to share some techniques, processes and some exercises that you can use to help
you find yours.
If you’ve never
had the pleasure of seeing Sir Ken speak, you’ll also want to view his popular
TED talks at http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson.html
We really look
forward to your joining us. Please follow the directions below to RSVP.
Sir Ken
Robinson will be filming a presentation for Public Television about his
upcoming book,
“Finding
Your Element.”
Please
join us as our guest for the program.
Date:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Time: 6:30
PM (doors open), 7:30 PM taping
Location:
Brentwood Theatre 11301 Wilshire Blvd
Los
Angeles RSVP: events@sirkenrobinson.com
Space is limited.
Please
RSVP as quickly as possible.
Include in
your reply your name, your guest’s name, your email address and phone number.
You will
receive a confirmation email with a map and directions to the theatre and
parking.
*************
SUMMER ADVENTURE
Elementary
School
Five affordable
weeks of non-stop fun, exploring and creating.
June
17-July 19 - (5 weeks, closed July 4)
8:30am -
12:30pm daily
WILL
ROGERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2401 14th
Street
$525 for
full morning program
Childcare
available for an additional fee.
Scholarships
available for qualifying students enrolled in SMMUSD for August 2013
Discounts
Available! -Sign up by April 15 and pay $500 for the full morning program
Registration
Starts on March 18
Online at
www.smmpta.org or www.smmef.org
In person
at the District Office
March 18
& 19, 8:00am-2:00pm
And
10:00am - 2:00pm thereafter
*************
CORE
1 NEWS
Leprechaun
Trap Homework
Be the
first to catch a leprechaun!
Create a leprechaun trap and bring it to
school. Use whatever materials you like. Let your imagination soar! Bring your
trap to school on Friday, March 15, so we can set up our traps before St.
Patrick’s Day on Sunday! Be ready on Monday morning to check your traps.
How to make a leprechaun trap:
1. Gather together all kinds of scrap
materials:
Small boxes Yarn
Plastic spoons Spools Straw
Felt
Anything shiny Paint Paper cups String Pieces of wood....
2. Design a trap: Sketch out your plans.
Decide how to attract a leprechaun and eventually catch one!
Be clever and tricky! Leprechauns are
tricky, themselves. They like shiny things, and things that glitter. They are
also naughty and often disobey signs.
3. Build a trap
Use nails, glue and/or string to make your
trap “Leprechaun tight!” Don’t make it too big. Remember: You are catching a
leprechaun, not a giant! Google “Leprechaun Traps” with a grown-up if you need
some ideas. There is a lot of information on the Internet on how to build a
trap.
SAVE
THE DATES
March 20: Open House Art Share (10:30am
& 6:00pm)
April 11: Parent Dialog Night on Reading
HAVE A
GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis,
Chrysta, Graciela, Nadja & Laura
Candis: cberens@smmsud.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
*************
CORE
2 NEWS
Hi Core 2 Families and Friends,
In Core 2, Homework is aimed at
addressing and practicing general, transferable skills that will nurture
our students’ interest and love of learning. Studies show that specific,
memorization or fill-in-the-blank worksheet assignments are not effective
in addressing student needs or academic advancement. Students or families may
choose to relate Core 2 homework to the curriculum or not, as long as it is fun
and authentic for the kids.
In Alfie Kohn’s article, “Rethinking
Homework,” he speaks about the need to revisit our ideas about homework and reject the idea that “as long as [our]
kids have lots of stuff to do every night, never mind what it is, then learning must be taking place”. Kohn also writes about several negative
effects of large quantities of homework in any subject. One of those negative
effects is that, “Many parents lament the impact of homework on their
relationship with their children; they may also resent having to play the role
of enforcer.” For this reason, we include the various academic areas of focus
in the Friday Letter. These topics may be used as family conversation
starters to further discuss the learning that is happening in Core 2. Focus on
the rich conversations that can happen rather than the amount of “work” that
can be completed.
One way that parents can check in with
their children is by allowing students to “explain and explore…what they’ve done -- what they liked and
disliked about the book they read, what they’re struggling with, what new
questions they came up with” (Kohn). This is a way to engage students in their
learning without completing a prescribed amount of written work related to a
topic, which can cause students to be frustrated and lose interest in learning.
Reading Just Right Books or other
interesting reading material gives students additional practice in decoding, fluency, and
comprehension. It also nurtures students’ love of books and reading when the
text is highly engaging and interesting to them. For this purpose, families are
encouraged to continue reading together and discussing the books for homework.
The same idea of students completing
practice for enjoyment is true of writing homework as well. During “Free Writing” time at school, students are busy
creating intricate, detailed stories with twisting plot lines and
well-developed characters. We hope that everyone is
continuing this work at home, yet in order to develop a love of writing and the
intrinsic motivation to write, students are not assigned a specific amount of
work. Why not have a joint writing piece going at home? You can start an
interactive journal between parents and children that will encourage
communication through writing. Ask children what they are interested in
writing and go from there! Alfie Kohn encourages student choice related to
their homework when he states, “Children learn how to make good decisions by
making decisions, not by following directions.” Each year, we start
"assigning" more specific writing homework depending on the needs of the
group. This year, we will revisit writing homework after Spring Break when
students are asked to find resources, articles, and come back to school with
questions related to our academic focus.
Both 3rd and 4th graders are assigned weekly math homework as an extension of the
topics and skills covered in class. Students should be using and practicing the
strategies used in the classroom to deepen their understanding of the
mathematical concepts. We typically don't expect mastery from just one unit,
which is why there are several units for certain key concepts each year
(addition / subtraction for 3G and multiplication / division for 4G) and
practice is encouraged at home. Families are encouraged to play games and
engage in conversations about math. Ask your child how or why a math
equation or strategy works rather than just focusing on finding the answers to
all the problems.
It is a myth that there is no
homework at SMASH, yet we focus on the quality rather than the quantity!
Mark Your Calendars!
Overnight Field Trip Meeting for parents
of current 4th graders
Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00-6:30pm in
Genie’s Room #490
To plan next year’s 5th grade AstroCamp
trip
Have a
fantastic weekend!
Jayme,
Tamara, & Nadja
Jayme: jwoldflorian@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
*************
CORE
3 NEWS
DISTRICT
VISUAL ART SHOW at the Roberts Art Gallery
in Samohi's campus, 601 Pico
Boulevard.
SMASH
is showcasing our puppets! When: March 15 from 6:00-8:00.
For
more information: http://www.samohi.smmusd.org/art/
Please
join us for light refreshments and fantastic art!
Mark Your Calendars! Next Year's
Overnight Field Trips Parent Meeting, Wednesday, 3/20 in Genie's Room.
5th graders/Incoming
6th graders (Catalina trip) @ 6:30-6:45
6th graders/Incoming
7th graders (Yosemite trip) @ 6:45-7:00
~Monday, March 11th - 6th Grade Math
Dream Room Share 9:30 - 10:15
~We are requesting a $10.00 donation
for each child to cover the cost of Omnivore's Dilemma.
32/52 have contributed, 20/52 have yet to.
Please help cover the cost of our whole class book club book so we preserve our
PTSA Core 3 funds to subsidize future
trips and special Core 3 events.
~Thanks to all the chaperones,
Yung, Yvonne, Bailey, April, Claudia, John B, John V, Ofer, and Nina, who came
with us on a fantastic experience at the Grand Central Market!
6G Math with Mimi: We are wrapping up our unit on adding,
subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. It's been a unit full of mind
bending mathematical thinking. We used Thursday to review strategies, finish
work, and ask any burning questions. Next week, we will take a practice
assessment on Tuesday and the Unit Assessment on Thursday. If your student will
not be at school on Tuesday, please let Mimi know so she can get you a copy of
the practice assessment.
6th Grade Math with Erin: In math on Wednesday and Friday students
completed their Geometry Dream Room projects. The dream rooms will be on
display this coming Monday, March 11th from 9:30 to 10:15. Please come check
them out if you are free! Be sure to ask the students about their square
footage and perimeter and make sure to check that their floor plans accurately
represent their model.
5th Grade
Math with Genie: We have
been playing a game called In-Between, which we played with fraction cards and
now trying it out with decimal cards. The practice is helping us be more aware
of the values between .1, .01, and .125 and to know which are bigger and which
are smaller. We are also practicing reading them formally so .1 is not 'point
one' but 'one tenth' and .125 is not 'point one two five' but 'one hundred
twenty five thousandths'. Please take the time to play In Between with your
child!
Science with Mimi: Instead of taking notes from an article
this week, we went online to learn about some different vitamins. On Thursday, we tested a variety of orange
drinks for their Vitamin C content. Ask your student about what made this experiment
different from last week's acid experiment.
Social Studies with Erin: We had a great visit to the Downtown Grand
Central Market. Students were able to tour the market in small groups while
completing a scavenger hunt. It was a great learning experience seeing all the
different foods from around the world and being surrounding by folks from
around the globe as well. Afterward we were able to ride the historic Angel's
Flight Railway and eat lunch at the California Plaza. Thank you to all the
chaperones who accompanied us! On Wednesday and Friday students continued to
work hard on the research stage of their food and culture projects. Students
continued to gain an understanding of native vs. non-native foods in their area
and how geography and topography affect what foods are grown.
Reading and Writing Workshop with Genie: We have had lots to share when we sit down
to discuss Omnivore's Dilemma. It has given us lots of food for thought!
Literally! We now understand that for omnivores, a variety of food is important
so too much of one thing like corn, especially
processed, is not healthy. We also know that cows are able to digest grass as
their natural food, not corn which is why grass fed beef is healthier and by
the way, has less saturated fat than corn fed beef. We also know our nation's
culture and our family culture affect how we eat. And while we read new
information, it is important to make connections to experiences and our lives.
Please help your child make connections as they read this book and anything they
read—connections help take their comprehension to another level. Keep the
sentence starter in mind, "It's like…", "It's like when you were
3 and…", "It's like the movie we just saw…", "It's like
Uncle Jim who…", "It's like that other book you read…",
"It's like what we saw on the news…"
Art with Kristy: Please join us March 20 at 1:15 in the
cafeteria for our premiere viewing of the SMuppet Variety Show
written, puppeteered, and created by Core
3! If you can't make the premiere, please stop by the SMASH Open House the same
evening, 3/20, from 6:00-7:30 in Core 3 to view the show and the amazing
puppets themselves. Amazing photo memory
books have been made to honor our amazing
yearlong puppet journey! Please email Genie if you would like to reserve the
$30.00 copy of the 8x11 book of images and
beautiful professional portraits.
Homework:
5G math: packet #26. Due 3/15/13;
RW: Read up to Chapter 13 in Omnivore's Dilemma
March 6, 2013
Dear SMASH 6th
Grade Families,
SMASH is one of a limited number of
schools in the country randomly selected to pilot the Smarter Balanced
Assessments this Spring. This is the online assessment that
becomes official in the 2014-15 school year, that will replace the current CST
paper/pencil multiple choice tests. Darwin, Genie, and I recently went through
a training regarding the types of test items and how to administer the online
test.
For SMASH, students in 6th grade have been selected to take the pilot test in math April
30, May 1, May 2 and in 7th grade to take
the pilot test in Language Arts next Monday and Thursday, March 11 and March
14. The assessment will take about three hours of your child’s time. While
SMASH is required to administer the pilot, student participation is voluntary
and confidential. Your child’s performance on this pilot assessment does
NOT get scored or reported anywhere.
The pilot has been designed to assist
Smarter Balance to gather data about:
The
implementation of the online software
How the items
function and their technical quality
The
effectiveness of test administration materials
Areas for
improvement prior to the tests becoming operational in 2015.
If you would like more information about
Smarter Balanced, please visit the Smarter Balanced website at http://
www.smarterbalanced.org/. If you do not want your child to
participate in the pilot, SMASH office MUST receive your request by
MONDAY, APRIL 29 at 4:00pm.
Your request letter MUST contain the
following:
Child’s full
legal name, birth date and grade
That you wish
to opt your child out of the 2013 Smarter Balance Assessment
Contain the
parent/guardian name, signature and be dated no later than March 8
Sincerely,
Jessica
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
Ben Allen
Oscar de la Torre Jose Escarce Maria Leon-Vazquez Laurie Lieberman Ralph Mechur
Nimish Patel
Sandra
Lyon, Superintendent
*************
CORE
4 NEWS
In 7th grade science we have been working on practicing the
CST science test. We have been working hard to prepare ourselves by answering publicly released test
questions that have been given to us by Kurt.
In 7th grade humanities we have been working on Journalism
and actively reading articles given in to us in class. We have learned a lot
about journalism and have been asked to bring in editorials from various newspapers.
We have been working on math with Darwin. In math we
usually just sit down and independently study our
math books. We have also just begun to work on our project
about plastic. In this we will learn more about plastic and about how we can
limit usage of single use plastic.
In advisory we have 7th & 8th graders mixed, although
it is split gender wise. In advisory we usually talk about how 7th grade can be
better for everyone. We have been working hard to not exclude or side talk.
Written by Ivan and Izzy
7th Grade Families,
FULCRUM HESS KRAMER:
Thanks to Leslie, the team building retreat/Ropes Course trip is scheduled to take
place at the end of this school year, June 4-5, 2013 so that they
will have a trip this year as promised and so that our 7th graders will take
their leadership ideas into their 8th grade year!
So that I can sign the Fulcrum contract and confirm the
trip, please send in your $375 check made out to
“SMASH PTSA” by March 15.
For those who indicated another amount that you are able to pay towards this trip, please submit the amount you indicated by March
15. Thank you. Once I have collected these checks March 15, I will have them
deposited by PTSA so that I can sign the Fulcrum contract and finalize arrangements
for the Ropes Course. If we do not receive payment to fully fund this
trip by the due date of March 15 - we may have to cancel this trip.
Help spread the good 7th grade trip news to other 7th grade
families!
Jessica
Darwin Mendinueto - dmendinueto@smmusd.org
Kurt Holland - kholland@smmusd.org
March 6, 2013
Dear SMASH 7th Grade Families,
SMASH is one of a limited number of schools
in the country randomly selected to pilot the Smarter Balanced Assessments this
Spring. This is the online assessment that becomes official in
the 2014-15 school year, that will replace the current CST paper/pencil
multiple choice tests. Darwin, Genie, and I recently went through a training regarding
the types of test items and how to administer the online test.
For SMASH, students in 6th grade have been selected to take the pilot test in math April 30,
May 1, May 2 and in 7th grade to take the pilot test in Language
Arts next Monday and Thursday, March 11 and March 14. The
assessment will take about three hours of your child’s time. While SMASH is
required to administer the pilot, student participation is voluntary and
confidential. Your child’s performance on this pilot assessment does NOT
get scored or reported anywhere.
The pilot has been designed to assist
Smarter Balance to gather data about:
The
implementation of the online software
How the items
function and their technical quality
The effectiveness
of test administration materials
Areas for
improvement prior to the tests becoming operational in 2015.
If you would like more information about
Smarter Balanced, please visit the Smarter Balanced website at http://
www.smarterbalanced.org/. If you do not want your child to
participate in the pilot, SMASH office MUST receive your request by
FRIDAY, MARCH 8 at 4:00pm.
Your request letter MUST contain the
following:
Child’s full
legal name, birth date and grade
That you wish
to opt your child out of the 2013 Smarter Balance Assessment
Contain the
parent/guardian name, signature and be dated no later than March 8
Sincerely,
Jessica
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
Ben Allen
Oscar de la Torre Jose Escarce Maria Leon-Vazquez Laurie Lieberman Ralph Mechur
Nimish Patel
Sandra Lyon, Superintendent
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