Dear Parents,
We had great Career Day celebration learning opportunity last week where students shared some thinking about what career they would like to pursue and why. More importantly, we discussed what steps we might be able to take now to better prepare ourselves for future success.
This week is our catch-up week for math and language. We've had lots of holidays, celebrations and events over the last few weeks which have cut into some of our learning, inquiries, and activities. I will be using this week to catch-up on previous concepts taught and activities started that we have yet to complete or which require more practice. After this week's new spelling words, I would also like to halt new spelling words until after our winter holiday. We will use the next few weeks to practice and re-quiz students on mixed spelling words from previously taught word lists to gauge retention. More information on that next week.
As we consolidate our understanding, we will be exploring performance/role playing as another medium through which artists express themselves.
Last but not least, report cards will be sent home this week. Please read the letter below carefully to understand how we as teachers assess your child and what their number grades indicate.
As always, your continued support at home is much appreciated.
Warm regards,
Ms. Bhavna
Dear Parents,
As the first set of report card grades are being prepared by all your children’s teachers, I would like to take a moment to explain how what the number grades really mean and what our expectations are for the children. We are aware that many families and parents come from different countries and curricula which may not assess your children using the same system. Firstly, each grade has a set of skills and concepts we teach and aim for students to grasp. Many of these skills and concepts are revisited over the course of the year with the hope that students will develop mastery. Based on the subject criteria grading chart attached, you will see a scale between 1-7. In order to be a grade 2 student meeting grade-level expectations, your child would earn either a 4 or a 5. A 4 suggests your child is achieving their learning target with minor gaps that still require teacher support. A 5 suggests your child is applying their understanding and is able to achieve their learning targets independently after initial teacher modeling and practice. Our hope is that students will achieve a 4 or higher as they continue their learning.
If your child receives a 6 for a particular skill or strand e.g. Data Handling in Math, this means they are sometimes able to demonstrating a secure understanding of a concept taught and is able to build on it to extend their skills beyond the average grade level expectation. A 7 represents a level of excelling that is consistently beyond grade level expectations. This also suggests working independently above grade level expectation and is typically rare.
We would also like to iterate that as the year progresses, so do our expectations of what our students can do. Hence a grade of 5 in November and a grade of 5 in January do not suggest that your child is not making progress. On the contrary, it means your child’s growth is on par with our expectations and the shifting goal post, something that they should be proud of achieving. Your child does not need to jump from a 4 to a 5 between reporting periods as evidence of progress. Having said that, it is very possible for 4s to becoming 5s and for 5s to become 4s as the year continues as new skills and higher expectations get thrown into the mix.
As second grade teachers, we would like to assure you that if your child’s grades are lower than where they ended last year, please keep in mind that it is not unusual to see students regress over the summer holidays. In addition to that, our beginning-of-year expectations are higher than those of grade 1 at the end of last year. If your child is earning 4s, 5s, and 6s, they should be commended on their work and encouraged to keep up their efforts. If your child is below grade-level expectations for certain skills, there is definitely room for progress. That is a conversation we can have together to develop strategies to support your child. Similarly, if your child is not earning a 7, please keep in mind that a 7 is not within the normal target for most second-graders. We hope this clarifies any uncertainties you may have about upcoming report card grades.
For parents with EAL students, Ms. Clark is responsible for assessing your child for language skills in collaboration with homeroom teachers. As EAL students do not yet meet grade level expectations due to their level of linguistic ability, they should not expect to receive a grade of 4 or higher until they have exited the program. Students who are earning a grade of 3 (in all areas) will be considered for exit. Lower scores accurately portray an individual’s ability to match a benchmark but they do not reflect the incredible growth students make every day. EAL students often require more time and support to fully access the curriculum.
We do not report based on MAP test results. MAP test results are a quick one-time snapshot that provide us with standardized test results which we use to better understand student data. However, we teach to the school curriculum and assess students based on the work they produce, our anecdotal evidence and observations, their internal assessments, and their overall contribution over the reporting period.
Thank you for your continued support at home.
Warm regards,
The Grade 2 Team
We had great Career Day celebration learning opportunity last week where students shared some thinking about what career they would like to pursue and why. More importantly, we discussed what steps we might be able to take now to better prepare ourselves for future success.
This week is our catch-up week for math and language. We've had lots of holidays, celebrations and events over the last few weeks which have cut into some of our learning, inquiries, and activities. I will be using this week to catch-up on previous concepts taught and activities started that we have yet to complete or which require more practice. After this week's new spelling words, I would also like to halt new spelling words until after our winter holiday. We will use the next few weeks to practice and re-quiz students on mixed spelling words from previously taught word lists to gauge retention. More information on that next week.
As we consolidate our understanding, we will be exploring performance/role playing as another medium through which artists express themselves.
Last but not least, report cards will be sent home this week. Please read the letter below carefully to understand how we as teachers assess your child and what their number grades indicate.
As always, your continued support at home is much appreciated.
Warm regards,
Ms. Bhavna
Dear Parents,
As the first set of report card grades are being prepared by all your children’s teachers, I would like to take a moment to explain how what the number grades really mean and what our expectations are for the children. We are aware that many families and parents come from different countries and curricula which may not assess your children using the same system. Firstly, each grade has a set of skills and concepts we teach and aim for students to grasp. Many of these skills and concepts are revisited over the course of the year with the hope that students will develop mastery. Based on the subject criteria grading chart attached, you will see a scale between 1-7. In order to be a grade 2 student meeting grade-level expectations, your child would earn either a 4 or a 5. A 4 suggests your child is achieving their learning target with minor gaps that still require teacher support. A 5 suggests your child is applying their understanding and is able to achieve their learning targets independently after initial teacher modeling and practice. Our hope is that students will achieve a 4 or higher as they continue their learning.
If your child receives a 6 for a particular skill or strand e.g. Data Handling in Math, this means they are sometimes able to demonstrating a secure understanding of a concept taught and is able to build on it to extend their skills beyond the average grade level expectation. A 7 represents a level of excelling that is consistently beyond grade level expectations. This also suggests working independently above grade level expectation and is typically rare.
We would also like to iterate that as the year progresses, so do our expectations of what our students can do. Hence a grade of 5 in November and a grade of 5 in January do not suggest that your child is not making progress. On the contrary, it means your child’s growth is on par with our expectations and the shifting goal post, something that they should be proud of achieving. Your child does not need to jump from a 4 to a 5 between reporting periods as evidence of progress. Having said that, it is very possible for 4s to becoming 5s and for 5s to become 4s as the year continues as new skills and higher expectations get thrown into the mix.
As second grade teachers, we would like to assure you that if your child’s grades are lower than where they ended last year, please keep in mind that it is not unusual to see students regress over the summer holidays. In addition to that, our beginning-of-year expectations are higher than those of grade 1 at the end of last year. If your child is earning 4s, 5s, and 6s, they should be commended on their work and encouraged to keep up their efforts. If your child is below grade-level expectations for certain skills, there is definitely room for progress. That is a conversation we can have together to develop strategies to support your child. Similarly, if your child is not earning a 7, please keep in mind that a 7 is not within the normal target for most second-graders. We hope this clarifies any uncertainties you may have about upcoming report card grades.
For parents with EAL students, Ms. Clark is responsible for assessing your child for language skills in collaboration with homeroom teachers. As EAL students do not yet meet grade level expectations due to their level of linguistic ability, they should not expect to receive a grade of 4 or higher until they have exited the program. Students who are earning a grade of 3 (in all areas) will be considered for exit. Lower scores accurately portray an individual’s ability to match a benchmark but they do not reflect the incredible growth students make every day. EAL students often require more time and support to fully access the curriculum.
We do not report based on MAP test results. MAP test results are a quick one-time snapshot that provide us with standardized test results which we use to better understand student data. However, we teach to the school curriculum and assess students based on the work they produce, our anecdotal evidence and observations, their internal assessments, and their overall contribution over the reporting period.
Thank you for your continued support at home.
Warm regards,
The Grade 2 Team