*This week's photos show a Grade 3 class completing their print projects for the "Print @ The Print Room" exhibition, next week's showcase of ISA children's work at a public display space. As you can see, print making can be dirty work!
Quarter 2 Progress Reports (Elementary School)
This afternoon, the Quarter 2 Progress Reports will be “published” on PowerSchool. This letter went out today to provide an explanation of some of the key elements of the reports. We ask that you spend some time discussing your child’s report comments with them, acknowledging progress, effort and achievement, as well as helping us to highlight areas of future growth and development. When doing this, please take the time to also discuss developing responsibility, respect for others and independence - all of which support your child’s ability to self-regulate and direct their own learning.
It was very common when I was in elementary school for schools to issue report cards that consisted solely of letter grades, ranging from A to F. Even now, there are some elementary/primary schools and national school systems that continue to do this, although this is much less common these days. Report cards, regardless of how well-meaning, are strongly associated with the practice of grading. You might think that school and grading are meant to go hand-in-hand. However, research, going back decades, has repeatedly shown three things about grading:
- Grades tend to diminish students’ interest in whatever they’re learning;
- Grades create a preference for the easiest possible task or pathway;
- Grades tend to reduce the quality of students’ thinking.
Because we are a school that values the development of children who are lifelong learners that seek to challenge themselves, and who are prepared for the complexities and nuances of the real world, we must take these findings into consideration. It is why we don’t place inordinate emphasis on “grades” in the Preschool and Elementary School; rather, we emphasise comprehensible and timely feedback, discussions about challenge and effort, and identifying next steps for continued growth. This also explains why the progress report that we issue at the end of Quarter 2, and the report card we issue in Quarter 4, consist of narrative comments. The Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 progress reports are given additional context as they are issued in conjunction with our Parent-Teacher Conferences, which afford us the opportunity to have face-to-face or virtual discussions about needs, successes and next steps.
Before being “published” on PowerSchool, I have had the opportunity to read these narrative reports. It is evident that our teachers have given consideration to the progress their students have made, using observations and evidence from class assignments, projects, home learning and more. In addition, the comments reflect a considered view on the choices that children make and how they manage social interactions with their peers. There are numerous comments about what is known as executive functioning, including how well students utilise their learning time (including “task initiation”), manage their emotions and behaviours, cooperate with others and demonstrate independence. In the classroom, please know that our teachers will follow up on the items detailed in the progress reports with continued observation, feedback and discussions with the students themselves.
Safer Internet Day is coming (Tuesday, February 6)
Safer Internet Day is a UK-wide celebration of online safety. This year’s theme is: ‘Inspiring change? Making a difference, managing influence and navigating change online’. I intend to use next week’s Thistle Talk article to highlight some key advice about keeping children safe online. In the meantime, no matter how old or young your children are, I thoroughly recommend that you read this week’s Thistle Talk article from Stuart MacAlpine (Middle and High School Principal) about being an “upstander” when it comes to dealing with inappropriate and abusive online behaviour.
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