A Message from the Principal ~

 Dear ISD Parents/Guardians,

Our fifth graders have launched their Exhibition unit this week and we are all very excited about it. The Exhibition is an experience the IB Program requires of all fifth graders to participate in as the culmination of their elementary years. At ISD, the fifth grade students fulfill their Exhibition requirements by choosing a topic, researching it and then working in small groups, decide how to showcase their new learning while tapping into their creativity.  Group presentations are then conducted for the school community and visitors. 

This year, the fifth graders, with input from students in every grade, decided on the "umbrella" topic of Wellness, as the subject of their Exhibition. Under this broad topic, there will be many smaller, subtopics they will choose to explore and research. This process takes about eight weeks to complete and there is much learning that goes on throughout it. Not only do students learn content and skills as they research their chosen topic but they also learn lifelong skills, such as working with others in teams and public speaking. All are invited to the presentations, which will be held the week of December 15th. More details to follow.

The identification process for our grade two Advanced Learning Program is underway. All second graders were administered a screening tool to determine who should advance to the next level of the testing process. Letters for those students were sent this week. The process does allow parents to nominate their child for testing, even if they did not reach the benchmark on the screener test. Forms for this nominating step can be downloaded from the GPS website under ALP. The deadline for nominating is Fri., Oct. 31st.  Please note there is a short turnaround time and we would appreciate adherence to it as there is planning time needed for the actual testing period, which starts on Wed., Nov. 5th (no school on Nov. 4th). 

Before nominating your child, please keep in mind this is an enrichment program for students who have solid grade level skills in language arts and/or math. If students are not easily meeting grade level expectations in these academic areas, they are probably not candidates for enrichment. The testing process is lengthy and can be stressful for students if they find the test items beyond their abilities at this point in time. Of course, if you have any questions about your child or the process, please contact your child's teacher or me.

Looking ahead, please note there is no school for students on Tues., Nov. 4th, which is Election Day.  It is however, a full day of professional learning for teachers and staff. Details will be shared at a later date.  

Sincerely,

Terry Ricci