5 September 2014

Le Journal 



A Message from our School Leaders

NWEA Testing Next Week at Cherry Street for 2nd Grade 

What is NWEA? 

During the Fall, Winter & Spring of the school year, students in grades 2 -> 8 will take the NWEA MAP tests.  

The Fall NWEA session will start next week (9/8) at the Cherry Campus. The Oak Campus will participate in their sessions starting the following week. (9/15)

 

Note: The NWEA MAP acronym stands for the Northwest Evaluation Association Measure of Academic Progress, not to be confused with the MAP test students take in the spring (which stands for Missouri Assessment Program).

 

F.A.Q. about the NWEA Assessment

What is the NWEA MAP Assessment?

In summary, the NWEA assessment is a formative testing system that responds dynamically to the child, and gives educators detailed insight into kids' learning.   

 

The NWEA MAP is an assessment that helps teachers determine a child's instructional level and measure his or her academic growth from year-to-year in the areas of mathematics and reading (and Science for grade 4 and up at AL). NWEA MAP tests are taken on the computer and are unique in that they are adaptive. That means that the test becomes more difficult the more questions each child answers correctly.

When a child answers a question in correctly, the test becomes easier. Therefore, each child will be taking a test specifically created for his or her learning level.

 

Students are given a wide range of questions to assess their understanding and knowledge. They will face questions they cannot answer, as some questions come from material that has not yet been covered in class. That is ok! We want students to know that facing questions that they do not know the answer to should not worry them. We want them to do their best in figuring out what they can answer. 

 

Who takes the NWEA MAP Assessment?

All students in 2nd grade through 8th grade.

 

How often is the NWEA MAP Assessment given?

The NWEA MAP Assessment is given three times a year: Fall, Winter and Spring.

 

How is the NWEA MAP Assessment used?

NWEA MAP testing is a powerful tool for monitoring student growth over time. Teachers use the NWEA MAP results as a piece of information when making classroom instructional decisions for your child.

 

How are students prepared to take the NWEA MAP Assessment?

The NWEA MAP Assessment is aligned with the Missouri State Curriculum Standards. Teachers teach this curriculum. Therefore, students are taught standards that are tested on the NWEA MAP. Teachers also extend the curriculum for students who exhibit a need.  

Remember, students who answer many questions correctly will get progressively harder

questions. Theoretically, the assessment questions go up to 10th grade, so some students may see questions related to content they have not yet been taught or exposed to.

 

How can I prepare my child to do their best on the MAP?

Because the MAP assessment is aligned with the state standards and teachers teach these standards, students are exposed to the information that the MAP assesses. Parents are not expected to do anything "extra" beyond the normal routine for homework prior to the MAP Assessment. We do expect that parents will know when their child will be testing to ensure that students are well rested and have a good breakfast (as they should everyday). As with all schoolwork and assessments, we would like parents to encourage their child to do their very best, but at the same time try to not to stress the child.

 

For more information on resources for parents, download the Parent Toolkit at www.nwea.org. Individual questions about your child's academic progress can be addressed with teachers.

in this issue

* Head of School  

* Cherry Principal 

* Calendar

* PTSO  

* Oak Traffic 

* Notes from the Nurse  

* News: the Buddy System 

* News: SSEP 

* Reminder: Spirit Wear

* In the News

* Sports: Track

* Raffle Update

* Bricks / Painless Fundraising

* SchoolReach 

Deadlines for the newsletter are Wednesdays at noon (for a five day week).

Advertisements and payments must be turned in Wednesdays by noon.







calendar

Upcoming Events

September 8 

Board Meeting
Oak, 6pm 

September 15 

PTSO Meeting
Cherry, 6pm

September 19 

Groundbreaking

Cherry, 10 AM

September 23  

6th Grade Parent France Trip Mtg.

Oak Auditorium, 6pm




Download the 2014-15 School Calendar by clicking here.


YOU'RE INVITED!

Cherry Street Groundbreaking    

Please join us as we celebrate our past, present and future at the Cherry Street campus on Friday, September 19. We will celebrate our 15 years as a school, break ground for the new wing, and dedicate the new playground.

  9:00 AM Refreshments/Tours
10:00 AM Program
11:00 AM Tours

To let us know if you can come, please call Jessica Wallace at 816-361-7735 X 206 or email her at [email protected].


A message from our ptso

Parent-Teacher-Student Organization
In Action    

ROOM PARENT Sign Up! 
Do you love to get involved? Are you fairly well organized? Creative? A little of everything? Honestly, we're all busy and none of us would probably be the perfect room parent but we all have skills to bring to benefit the classroom AND we have a couple classrooms that don't yet have a room parents.
Consider raising your hand as an individual OR pair up with another parent to divide and conquer! Not exactly sure what does a room parent does? Check out the info on the Acad�mie Lafayette website, here. Contact Leslie Kohlmeyer ([email protected]) for Cherry campus and Meghan Flavin ([email protected]) for Oak to get additional information.

PTSO Meeting
Mark your calendar - Monday, September 15th - 6-7:30 p.m. at Cherry Street campus. Pizza and childcare (by 8th graders, benefiting their trip) will be provided starting at 5:30 p.m. Topics include PTSO budget, event calendar and candidacy for the parent rep to the school board.
Reminder

Traffic Safety at Oak Street    

Loading children on 69th Terrace is prohibited. This is a no parking, idling zone. All picking up should be done in the parking lot, and not on the street south of campus.

The Oak parking lot is a busy and congested place at the 3:30 p.m. pick up. Parents who pick up their children from the picnic tables must encourage their children to be ready to get into vehicles when parents pull up. Also, parents, if your child is not at the curb, you must take another turn around the campus, exiting with a right turn onto 69th Terrace. Do not idle and wait, unless in a sanctioned parking place.

Please adhere to the no parking signage around the campus. Also, please continue to use the clockwise traffic pattern when entering the school area at Oak. Cars exiting the parking lot should turn right only. Many thanks for helping to keep traffic moving smoothly.   
news

Our Campus Gardens: They are Thriving! 

Harvest season has arrived at Cherry Street! The carrots have been dug up, and potatoes will be soon. There are plenty of tomatoes for snacking at recess, and we even saw our first strawberry! We're looking forward to enjoying our popcorn again this year.

At Oak, we are planting our fall garden, and are starting a "Green Thumb Club" for grades 3-5.  The bounty from the garden is being shared with those grades whenever possible.

 
news

BOO Bayou!  

It's almost that time of year again. BOO Bayou is our school's annual fall party. This year it will be on Saturday, October 18th from 6-9 p.m.

We will, as always, be holding a Staff vs. Parents and Students Soccer game. It will be before the party at 4:30 p.m. We are looking for a game coordinator; please contact Mr. Djiba at [email protected] to volunteer. The coordinator keeps track of who is playing, the referees and keeps the time for the game.

We will have great food from the JAZZ restaurant/bar, bounce houses, music, crafts, and a costume contest. We will also have the 6th grade Haunted Hall! (Please, 6th grade parents call us soon to get planning.) It will be great fun for all. Mark you calenders. We hope to see you there! OH!!! Did I mention that you can follow our updates on Facebook? Our BOO Bayou page link is listed here->
 https://www.facebook.com/ALBooBayou?ref=hl

Looking forward to this exciting event and seeing YOU there!

Leslie Kohlemeyer
[email protected]

Diane Rizzo
[email protected] 
reminder

Earbuds: Oak Students Need Them!

Dear parents, please remember that all students need earbuds in their classroom tub located in the computer lab. Students may purchase a pair for a dollar from Mme Alix. Students that do not have earbuds will not be able to do the work in class.
news

Robotics Starting Next Week

We are excited to start the AL robotics club this Tuesday! We will meet once a week and work hard to figure out answers to the "World Class Challenge". We will program EV3 robots to complete as many missions as possible as well. Go Connectables!  
 
reminder

Online School Directory

Please check for the email that went out early last week to confirm your school directory listing. If you didn't receive an email, or accidentally deleted it, please email Katie Hendrickson ([email protected]) to get another link.

Deadline is: Friday, September 5.

news

Choir

Choir will begin on Monday, Sept. 15th, at 3:45. Bring a non peanut snack. We will rehearse until 4:45. Pick up is at 4:45 on the dot! If interested, just show up in the music room. No enrollment yet!


Thanks!
Mr. Swanson
 
 
AL Community Members spotted

In the News  

 
Report your sightings of Acad�mie Lafayette parents or students accomplishments to Katie Hendrickson at [email protected].
 

 

Sports

Deadlines Approaching for Fall Track Conditioning 

Contact: Coach Brenda Kumm 816-500-4482 or [email protected]

 

Registration is closing soon for K-8th graders to participate in fall track conditioning. The program is free and open to all. To register, please send an email indicating your interest to [email protected]. The required Sport Release Form and detailed Track Informational Packet are available on the Athletics page of the AL website.

  

Kindergarten- 3rd Graders - Deadline for registration is: Tuesday, September 30

This group will focus on the basics of track through fun games and activities led by Coach Djiba. There are no track meets during fall conditioning.

 

The 4 sessions will be held from 3:50pm- 5:10pm at the Oak Street Campus on Tuesdays starting on October 7 and ending on October 28.

Parents must transport kids from Cherry to Oak- we will help connect families for carpooling.

 

4th - 8th Graders - Deadline for registration is: Monday, September 8 

This group will focus on specific skill development for throwing and jumping, running techniques, pacing, starts and relays. Coach Brenda leads this group. There are no track meets during fall conditioning.

 

The 8 sessions will be held right after school (3:30pm) until 5:10pm at the Oak Street Campus on Tuesdays starting September 9 and ending on October 28. Kids will be given time to change their clothes.

 

Volunteers Needed!

The Academie Lafayette Track Program only succeeds because of our volunteers. We are in need of at least 10 volunteers. We especially need help with the K-3rd group. If you are interested in helping with fall track please contact Coach Brenda. No track experience is necessary.

 

Sports

Fall Volleyball Schedule 

Please come out to support the Acad�mie Lafayette girls' volleyball team this fall!

Games:
Wednesday, September 24, 6 p.m. - AL v. Kauffman - location: Kauffman (6401 Paseo)
Monday, September 29, 6 p.m. - AL v. Brookside - location: Brookside (1815 E. 63rd St.)
Monday, October 6, 5 p.m. - AL v. Tolbert - location: Kauffman (6401 Paseo)
Wednesday, October 8, 6 p.m. - AL v. Kipp - location: Kauffman (6401 Paseo)
Monday, October 13, 5 p.m. - AL v. Hogan Prep - location: Brookside (1815 E. 63rd St.)
Wednesday, October 15, 6 p.m. - AL v. Frontier - location: Brookside (1815 E. 63rd. St.) 

We hope you come to a few games to cheer the girls' team on! 
fundraising

Raffle Update    

Only 10 more days before the Early Bird flies!

 

The Early Bird Deadline for the 2014 CA$H Raffle is September 15. Students who sell at least 20 tickets, and turn in the proceeds and the ticket stubs, will receive a FREE Raffle T-shirt and a chance to win a $300 gift certificate at either Great Wolf Lodge or World of Fun/Oceans of Fun.    

If you want to join others and sell at local businesses you must sign up on Sign Up Genius:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084ea5ab2da7f94-2014

Special thanks to Sheila Dougherty for coordinating this effort.

 

Kudos to Kelly Lee and her Raffle Team for stuffing envelops, counting money and delivering T-shirts.  If you would like to join Kelly and her merry band please sign up here: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0D4EACAA2EAAFB6-raffle/19100255

 

Do you have an office bulletin board?  Decorate it with the attached flyer promoting the Raffle.  Your co-workers can come to YOU for their chance to win $10,000.

 

news

Girls Scouts 

Is your daughter interested in Girl Scouts, but you don't know whom to contact? Allow us to help! Some of our troops are full, but interest continues to grow. Please consider leading or co-leading a new troop if your daughter's grade level troop is full.
 
Kindergarten (troop is now forming)
Contact Pam Dale, Membership Manager
GS of NE KS & NW MO
816.759.3013
[email protected]

1st Grade
Jessica LaFollette, Troop 842 Co-Leader
913.220.3650
[email protected]

2nd Grade
Carla Warriner, Troop 693 Leader
816.223.1653
[email protected]

3rd Grade (both troops are full)
Jennifer McGreal, Troop 1519 Leader
816.401.3947
[email protected]
Valerie Johnson, Troop 4519 Leader
816.423.3290
[email protected]

4th Grade
Jennifer Pratt-Hyatt, Troop 3233 Leader
816.898.2962
[email protected]

5th Grade (troop is full)
Amy Conard, Troop 2041 Leader
Jennifer McGreal

If your daughter's grade level is full, but you are interested in exploring what starting a new troop would entail, please contact Jennifer McGreal at [email protected].

News

School Reach Message Retrieval Line     

We use the School Reach system to alert families via phone or text about important announcements. If you miss a School Reach message, please do NOT call the school. Instead, use the Message Retrieval number from a phone that gets calls from the system.

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Oak Street Campus
6903 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-361-7735

Cherry Street Campus
3421 Cherry Street
Kansas City, MO 64109
816-888-7450

www.academielafayette.org

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