Dear ISD Parents/Guardians,

I hope you all had a wonderful spring break and find yourselves reenergized to tackle the busy months ahead.  Speaking of busy, it was a week packed full of a wide variety of events.  District-wide, there are opportunities for parents to have their voices heard regarding the options and review of school start times.  There are public forums scheduled. (Look for details within this issue.)  In addition, please fill out the survey that was sent to all households.  This is an important matter that may have significant impact on school life as we know it.

The District announced this year's recipients of the Distinguished Teacher Awards.  I am very proud and happy to announce that our own Mrs. Madoff, Media Specialist and IB Coordinator, is included in that distinct group.  Mrs. Madoff has many talents and teaching skills and more importantly, is always sharing them with students and staff alike.  Please send your best wishes and accolades to Mrs. Madoff as she is truly deserving of this recognition.  Of course, it is also an honor for our school to have one of our own represented in this group of six educators.

This week the Smarter Balanced Testing Period began.  The SBA's are standardized tests that many states are administering as an assessment of the Common Core Standards.  The Core standards comprise our district's curriculum so our students are being tested on what they have been taught and learned.  The testing window is wide with our third graders being the first ones to take the tests. As they finish their tests, the fourth graders will gear up for their testing and the period will culminate with our fifth graders taking their tests.  All tests are adaptive, untimed and completed using laptop devices or computers in the computer lab.  Parents will receive results in the fall.

Fourth graders spent part of the day on Wednesday at Sound Waters on their large schooner off the waters in Stamford.  They engaged in a wide variety of science activities that supported their unit on water.  While they were there, members from the Stamford Nature Center were here working with our second graders as part of their partnership with them, planting in our gardens in the back of the school.  This partnership supports and reinforces the grade two unit on soil and plants.

As part of the transition process, our fifth graders spent Thursday participating in an "Orienteering Adventure" at Camp Seton in Greenwich.  Our students, along with fifth graders from North Mianus School, Old Greenwich School and Riverside School, spent the day together engaged in a wide variety of team building activities and interacting with each other as part of the transition process to Eastern Middle School.  That same afternoon, our third grade orchestra students showcased their beginning talents for their parents and peers in an afternoon concert.  They should be proud of what they have accomplished.

 A few important dates coming up to remember:

No School - Tuesday, April 26th due to election primaries.

Astronomy Night - Friday, April 29th, 7:00 - 9:00.  All are invited to view the stars and planets.

Spring Concert - Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 pm

Field Day - Thursday, June 9th, Raindate:  Friday, June 10th

Grade 5 Moving Up Ceremony - Friday, June 17th, 1:00 pm

Last day of school - Tuesday, June 21st, 1:15 dismissal

More details to come either in separate correspondences, on our website or in future issues of Dragon Tales. 

Sincerely,

Terry Ricci

Principal