Ivette Ellis                                                                            Ed Wachowski

Principal                                                                              Assistant Principal

March, 2010

Dear Parents,

The students are now in the process of taking the CMT test.  The teachers have done a great job of preparing the students for the exam.  The students have worked very hard this year and have shown us that they are prepared to do their best.  In preparation teachers have taught to the state standards and have provided the students with effective test taking strategies.  Results will be sent to parents by mail early in the fall or late in the summer.  For more information regarding the CMT tests be sure to visit the Silvermine School web page.

Last week we held a workshop for parents to inform them of the test.  We had very few parents respond to the invitation and we want to thank those of you who came.  We also were prepared to do a movie night which prompted a response of almost 100 of our families.  I cannot emphasize to you enough the importance of staying involved in the school and learning as much as you can about ways you can support your child’s education.  In the future, we hope that our informational nights will be as well attended as our family event nights.  Movie night was postponed because of inclement weather and has been rescheduled for March 18.

The third, fourth and fifth grade students will be taking the test over the next two weeks.  After the testing we still have several months of school left in the year.  We will continue to work towards the mastery of the state standards for all students.  Please be sure to spend time reading with your child and visiting local libraries.  Whenever possible, allow students to help in the kitchen and use their math skills to prepare foods from recipes.  Take full advantage of all of the resources provided on the internet.  If you have a computer be sure to visit www.StudyIsland.com.  All students have user numbers and passwords so that they can practice their reading and math skills.

The District is working with its budget at this time.  Please be sure to visit the district website to see meeting dates where the budget will be discussed specifically.  We are facing a possible cut of $5 million dollars.  This will be devastating to the school system and has the possibility of undoing the progress that students have made as evidenced by an increase in state test results.  It is important that parents attend these meetings to stay informed and to provide input. 

We hope to see many of you at the school for parent conferences.  We also ask that if you have neighbors or relatives who will be enrolling students in our schools next year that you encourage them to do so during the registration times.  We are planning to hold a meeting to inform parents of our Mano a Mano Program and hope to have another Open House session similar to the one held in the spring of last school year.  We have many other events coming soon.  Please be sure to check your Wednesday folder, the PTO and the school website and any newsletters that come home from your child’s teacher.

Thank you for all your support.

Sincerely,

Ivette Ellis