Dear Parents,

Hockey fans are passionate! Being born and raised in St. Louis, I bleed blue. An old friend of mine, a retired senior citizen and former teacher, bleeds red as in the arch-rival Red Wings. When we get together it sounds like two ten year olds squabbling on the playground. Recently, in one of these animated discussions, I quipped that he probably wanted to take a Red Wings jersey with him to the “great beyond”. So, you can imagine my smile when he replied, “Nope, my Kindle!” Some habits are even deeper than hockey allegiance!

My three children were all avid readers when they were growing up and remain that way today. I would love to take credit for that but, to be honest, the full credit goes to my wife, Nancy. Even today, when I will find myself perched in front of the TV, Nancy is often curled up on the couch with a book. When the children were young she constantly read to them and as they grew she surrounded them with books. Reading was not just an option; it was required! I firmly believe that their ability to read independently and effectively for meaning is why all three were successful in school.

Often I am asked the question, “What is the most important thing my child can do to be successful is school?” The answer is simple—read! There is no skill that your child can learn and practice that will lead to greater success than to read, read, and read some more!

Today, reading for pleasure is something young children and teens often avoid. There are so many other forms of entertainment: TV and DVDs, video games, computers and cell phones just to name a few. Unless children are encouraged to read, unless they see the adults around them reading then they simply will choose other forms of entertainment.

Raising a reader is a goal that all parents should strive to achieve because language development in children assures development of good, solid skills and habits that last a lifetime.  By reading to our kids in the early years, we lay the vital foundation for raising a reader.  By continuing to read on a regular basis and then encouraging independent reading in the later years, we build on this foundation. In short, it is we parents who are the front line in getting our children to read and to love reading.

Yet, it is not just for the entertainment value that we should encourage our children to read. It is a well-known fact that reading is the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends. Simply put, a child who cannot read will struggle in school and conversely a child who is a good reader will have the greatest chance to succeed.

However, it is not only in school that reading is critical. In today’s workplace where technology plays such an important role, the ability to read well is mandatory. Manuals, guides, contracts and other vital documents used in the workplace require workers to read and interpret data. Job advancement is often linked to reading skills and the ability to understand written concepts and ideas.

We live in the information age where access to knowledge is expanding at an incredible rate. Modern technology gives our children instant access to all that knowledge. Today as educators and parents we have to keep pace. We cannot sit and wait for things to go back to the way they once were. It is not going to happen. There is more than a smidgen of truth in the words of educator, Ian Jukes: “We need to prepare students for THEIR future not OUR past." Yet, as a former early childhood and elementary school teacher I also know the importance of fundamentals. Reading fundamentals do not change. Phonics, whole word recognition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary mastery—these will always remain the building blocks of language. In fact, it is the mastery of these skills due to the hard work of teachers here at MHR over the years that has allowed the school to do so well on ITBS testing and, most important of all, fostered the success of our students as they move on to high school.

Yet today as parents and teachers we are challenged to not only teach our children the fundamentals of reading but to stay current with the technology with which they will access this knowledge in the future. I hope children will never lose that experience of being able to curl up with a good book; yet, I can’t help smiling when I picture that old Red Wing teacher who taught two of my own children a love for literature, curled up with a Kindle!

Respectfully,

Thom Laux

Principal

Important Dates to Remember:

Fri. Feb.17 – No School - Inservice Day

Mon. Feb. 20 – No School - President’s Day

Wed. Feb 22 – Progress Reports Go Home

ITBS Testing: New Format

Our school is scheduled to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills this year from March 5th through the 15th.  The testing is for grades 3 to 8. Iowa is in the forefront of educational testing in the nation and is used by several states as well as the majority of parochial and private schools. The ITBS test measures the basic skills and achievements of students from K through high school. It was developed by the University of Iowa and has over 70 years of educational research and test development behind it. The ITBS provides an in-depth assessment of student achievement in reading, all aspects of language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Certain classes also take the Cogat test which measures reasoning abilities that are critical at all level in school.

There are three fundamental purposes for testing: (1) to describe each student’s development level within a test, (2) to identify a student’s areas of relative strength and weakness in subject areas, and (3) to monitor year-to-year growth in the basic skills. Though standardized testing scores cannot and should not replace teacher observations and classroom assessment information, they can and do provide unique supplementary information that enables each teacher to arrange learning objectives and procedures to best help each child.

The development of academic skills is a continuous process. Yet, the rate of skill development differs widely among children of the same age or grade. Some students learn rapidly. Others, who are just as conscientious and highly motivated, learn more slowly. Most children are more proficient in some skills than in others. Some students progress more rapidly with certain methods, materials, and teaching styles than in others. Identifying and providing the optimal conditions for learning which vary from child to child is the challenge for each teacher. Simply put, these tests provide valuable information for the teacher and the school in general to make this learning a reality. With the Iowa, we can keep track of your child’s progress over the time they are here at MHR. It is also a benchmark for the school itself to see where it stands nationally in making sure that your child is learning what is required at each grade level.

Why a New, Upgraded Format?

The American educational landscape is constantly in flux. Today’s emphasis is on standards-based education and its emphasis on common core state standard accountability. Today’s elementary parents worry about whether their children will be high school-, college- and career-ready. Never has there been a time when so much stress is placed on assessment. FCAT, ITBS, ACT, PSAT, and SAT are part and parcel of a student’s jargon these days. The cornerstone of Iowa assessments has always been a strong research base and the new upgraded test places a strong emphasis on getting students to formulate answers bases on higher order, critical thinking skills rather than mere recall of memorized information. It is the development of these higher order thinking skills that are vital if students are to achieve success at a college and career level. For example, the new Iowa test is the only one that begins evaluating student preparedness for the ACT/SAT in Grade 6, a full two years before any other existing system. The new format content and specifications provide better ways to measure achievement and impact instruction to help students prepare for high school and college. The new content better reflects today’s challenging educational landscape as well as the movement to common core state standards.

Letters Coming Home

This month you will be receiving a letter from our Diocesan Superintendent Alberto Vazques-Matos as well as from the folks at Riverside Publishing announcing the format change and giving more information on the new test. Your children will be instructed and prepared for the new method and will take practice tests so they are comfortable with the new style of questioning.

As both our Superintendent and consultants for the ITBS pointed out at a meeting of Diocesan Principals, a new test and a new format always brings with it lower scores initially. This is due in part to the new style of questions; and, quite frankly, the content of this new format is more challenging. The important thing is that this test will set for each of our students a baseline with which their progress can be measured and which will help our teachers tailor their instruction to best help your child. I will have more to say about the ITBS in upcoming Updates.