Dear Parents and Community Members,   

    I hope that all of you enjoyed gathering with family and friends over the holidays. We've been hearing a lot in the media about resolutions being made for the new year, and our students  and staff here at JMS are no different. We are returning to school with renewed efforts to make learning meaningful and enjoyable for our students.  Teachers are taking a close look at their students' progress and planning their instruction to meet students' needs.  Teachers meet with their colleagues in grade level teams and across grade levels to analyze assessment results, discuss progress and share successful teaching strategies.

     As I mentioned in an earlier e-blast, the district purchased a computer adaptive assessment tool this year called STAR. All students take a math and literacy test three times per year. The second assessment will be administered in late January. The results will be used by the teaching staff to identify students' strengths, analyze areas of need, and plan lessons designed to allow students to reach their academic potential. Students who are in need of additional intervention will be identified through this process and referred to our Student Intervention Team (SIT).

     By using this multi-pronged approach (assessment, analysis, implementation, intervention, and professional development), we are already seeing many students  who are surpassing learning goals that were set  as a result  of earlier assessments. Students are also setting goals for themselves, and they take great pride in successfully meeting them. This is a great strategy for sticking to any new year's resolutions you might set for yourselves. Set a goal, monitor your progress, and reward yourself when the goal has been met!

     I wish you all a safe, healthy and enjoyable new year, and good luck with those resolutions!