First Quarter Progress Reports
From this afternoon (Friday, October 28th), parents and carers will be able to view the Quarter 1 Progress Reports for their children in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The progress reports can be accessed through PowerSchool.
The information contained in this progress report is a summary of your child’s learning progress for the first quarter of the school year. The report is one of a number of strategies used by our school to communicate with you about your child’s achievements, attitude, behaviour and effort throughout the year. Additional progress reports are provided in January and March, with a final report on student achievement uploaded in June at the end of the school year. Through the reports and, of course, formal and informal parent conferences, we strive to provide pertinent information about specific areas in need of improvement, the degree of progress/development being made in identified areas, and/or strategies for improvement that can be made by students. An explanatory guide for the Quarter 1 Progress Report can be found here.
As the progress reports are designed to communicate information about your child’s progress and learning habits, it makes sense for parents and children to review and discuss their contents. However, as Mr. Little mentioned in his article last week, it is important that grades are “kept in their place, and don’t become more than they should be.” This is especially true for children of Elementary School age. The progress reports should not be interpreted as a measure of a child’s fixed ability, but rather as indicators of recent learning and development which point toward the next steps that have the best chance to inspire and support future learning. Research has shown that an overemphasis on grades can serve to diminish children’s interest in what they are learning, can nudge children away from challenges in favour of easier tasks, and can increase levels of anxiety and stress.
A Performing Arts Update
*On Monday, October 31, the students in the Grade 5 band will perform at the Elementary School Morning Assembly in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
*Next Thursday, November 3, will mark our first Elementary School Lunchtime Concert, in which individual students from across a range of grades will perform recital pieces in the Black Box Theatre. The family members of the children performing in the Lunchtime Concert are warmly and enthusiastically invited to attend.
*The students in Grade 2 have been busy rehearsing for their play. Directed by Mark Wood, the play will be performed on Monday, November 14 and Tuesday, November 15. We must give a huge shout out to the amazing parent volunteers who have been helping with the set construction. More information will be provided as we draw ever closer to the big days!
Playground rules
A number of parents have asked about the use of the playground areas after school hours. We are so lucky to have a dedicated space where the children and their families can choose to gather and relax once the school day has finished. We appreciate those parents who have reached out to the school to ensure that there is a consistent approach to how these spaces are used. Please refer to this document to see the guidelines for appropriate use of the upper and lower playground areas. These are the guidelines that are communicated to the children by the teachers who are on duty during recess times. In addition, as part of the PE program, Ms. Hodder takes the time early in the school year to teach children in the lower Elementary School (i.e., Kindergarten to Grade 2) how to use the equipment in safe and respectful ways. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Mr. Kajiwara or Mr. Bertolotto if you have any further questions.
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