Dear ISD Parents, 

I think I speak for everyone when I say we are all looking forward to the arrival of the first day of spring as we say goodbye to the winter season.  At ISD, we continue to keep a busy pace.  The CMT testing period is coming to an end, however, we have many make up tests to complete.  We will try and do as many of them as we can, prior to the testing materials being collected.  Except for the snow day, which resulted in the rescheduling of a test for another day, the administration of tests went seamlessly.

On the horizon is the beginning of the identification process for eligibility in the Advanced Learning Program (ALP) for students in grades two through five.  Teachers have nominated students who will take part in the testing process to determine eligibility.  These students were nominated because their teacher believes they may need an alternative instructional program in math and/or reading.  If your child has been nominated by the teacher to participate in the testing process for ALP, you will receive a letter indicating as such.  If not, parents may also nominate their child if they truly feel their child has mastery of their current grade level curriculum and needs to be instructed in an advanced curriculum.  Please give it serious thought, as the testing process is arduous and can be taxing for students.  Parent nominations are due by Wednesday, March 27th.

This month we have the district's two instructional math coaches working with some of our teachers on expanding their repertoire and skill set in the area of math.  In addition, all classroom teachers participated in a professional development session this past Wednesday on "unpacking" the Common Core math standards.  Speaking of math, a district-wide committee comprised of GPS staff and parents is reviewing math programs with a goal of recommending one for adoption. They have narrowed their choices down to two and a decision will be made in the coming months.

Thank you to all the PTA parents who participated in our World Read Aloud program.  Volunteers read Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish to the students during lunch periods in a variety of languages.  The experience sends a powerful message on the value of reading and how it crosses all languages.  Thank you also to the volunteers who distributed a variety of fruits and vegetables to students during lunch as well.  Hopefully, some students enjoyed eating something new (and healthy) and now will make it part of their food repertoire.  Happy weekend.