Last Tuesday evening a group of eight former Ivanhoe students sat on a panel representing their current middle schools. It is a yearly parent meeting that I look forward to as it gives me a chance to visit with these former students, to bear witness to who they are becoming. Each year I am awed by their poise, their honesty, their thoughtfulness, and their humor. As I said in my letter over the summer,
“…we can take pride in the knowledge that our community has given them a great foundation for understanding and respecting themselves and others. This has always been our collective mission, and watching the class of 2015 during their final days brought home the sense of unity and collaboration that will serve them as they continue to live and learn in this diverse and complicated world.”
This was so evident Tuesday evening.
I mention this because parents are beginning to receive test data from the SBAC testing students took last spring, and have posed many questions and have voiced many concerns. Ivanhoe did very well overall, and I will spend time at the next Coffee With the Principal going over the test, and what information it presents. But it is important to keep the SBAC in perspective. At Ivanhoe, we believe that standardized tests are just one way—often a very limited way—to measure student achievement. We have confidence in our practice of observing students as they do daily work, looking at student work samples, and charting progress, making adjustments, and offering interventions that are connected to learning goals set by students, teachers and families. Perhaps most importantly, we also have confidence in looking at and guiding them as whole children.
In a culture that places much value on competition, winning and merit, it is hard to keep perspective, to see that whole child. If it is hard for we, as adults, it is equally as hard for them as children.
The eight 6th graders who represented a range of schools last week showed themselves to be whole children. For me, that is the yardstick I would hope to use to measure our success as a school.
-Ms. Rescia
Hoedown Volunteers Needed!
We really need you! The Hoedown is our biggest fundraiser and we need your help to make it happen. We could really use afternoon volunteers for crafts, food serving, and cleanup! Make sure to press "more" at the bottom of the page to see later shifts. We need all hands on deck!
Presale tickets will be out all week and you can also sign up for a shift there if you want.
Thank you to: Edendale, Little Pine, zPizza, Prime Time, the Tracey-Arranaga Family, The Klub Gymnastics, Baller Hardware, 365 Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Skye Rentals, Stark.
LAST CALL FOR PHOTOS…get them before their gone!
2014-2015 was a memorable school year for Ivanhoe families. From the Hoedown, the Talent show, Fitness Fest, Ivanhoe’s 125th celebration and of course International Faire…to name a few. All of Ivanhoe’s amazing events have been documented via thousands of photos all available to Ivanhoe families via Smug Mug.
A new year has begun, and new events will take place and those too will be photographed. But to make room for this year, we will need to remove all of last school years photos from the site. So now is your chance to purchase that photo that you saw in the yearbook, or that you saw on the site and had to have.
The deadline to get last year’s photos will be October 23rd. Please contact your room parent for the login/password information. As a reminder, every print, digital download, canvas, etc. purchased from the site, has a portion of its proceeds donated to Friends of Ivanhoe. So not only are you preserving a special memory, you are preserving FOI.
Here’s to another memorable year!
MICRO WALKING BUSSES ARE LAUNCHED!
Is your student ready to walk to school by themselves, but you'd like them to walk in a group for safety? Ivanhoe is launching a micro Walking Bus program! Get your kids to the "walking bus stop" on time, and save yourself a trip through the drop-off line.
Your kids will love the chance to walk and talk with friends! And active transportation to school is even more important for concentration than breakfast-- which we all know is super important! So do your teachers a favor, and help your kids join a walkingbus, or help start a walkingbus near you!
FROM THE WEST
St. George Walking Bus!
7:50 AMdeparts from NE corner of Rowena & St. George
Wednesdays (*Julie)
FROM THE SOUTH
Putnam Walking Bus! 7:45 AM departs from NW corner WSL & Putnam
Wednesdays (*Jasmine)
Edgewater Walking Bus! 7:40 AMdeparts from NW corner of Armstrong & Edgewater
Tuesdays (*Gage)
Armstrong Walking Bus! 7:50 AM departs from NW corner Armstrong & Lakewood
Mondays (*Letta)
Tuesdays (*Letta)
Armstrong Just in Time Walking Bus!
7:55 AM departs from NE corner Armstrong & Lake View Terrace
Mondays (*Quincy)
Tuesdays (*Quincy)
Wednesdays (*Quincy)
Thursdays (*Quincy)
Fridays (*Quincy)
FROM THE EAST
Fire Station 56 Walking Bus!
7:50 AM departs from NW corner Armstrong/Glendale/Lakewood
Fridays (*Lynda)
EChoices Meeting Tuesday November 3rd at 6pm,
2nd grade-4th grade
If you have questions about the eChoices Magnet application please attend this meeting. Learn about "points", middle school, magnet choices, and how to handle the online process. Childcare offered for a nominal fee.
Day of Service November 7th
We will be doing lots of projects around school including cleaning the kinder yards, patching auditorium and touching up, updating the web site and lots of other projects all around the school. Bring the whole family-kids welcome!
A Reminder to Give!
We know, sometimes you have the best intentions to remember to do something…life is busy, we have many distractions.
We're going to help you remember! There's a surprise waiting on campus Monday morning…
We're hoping it will remind you to go to the FOI mailbox, to your computer, or to the FOI app on your phone to support our students.
....Now for the fine print.... To announce an event, please email FOI at least a month before with detailed information. If you have a marketing/fundraiser idea to propose please click this link to read the steps on how to get this accomplished. Make sure you speak to the FOI Board first before sending a request for an email to parents. Finally, all e-blasts must be pre-approved by Ms.Rescia and FOI.
