April 2019
Dear PVMS Families,
We have made it to April, which is always a welcoming time of warmer weather and baseball. I hope we have more sun than April showers. With that being said, we must stay focused on our goals and continue to work hard as some students have “Spring Fever” and recognizably, busy lives outside of the school day.
Although most middle school children do not want parent involvement, this is a critical time. We encourage you to partner with us in monitoring your child’s homework and academic progress. Here are a few ways you can support your child:
- Check your child’s understanding of reading assignments. We often find that they have a better understanding when you check for understanding.
- Encourage your children to read nightly. Reading 20 minutes a day enhances their comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and background knowledge.
- Help your child plan ahead for long-term projects. Projects are an opportunity for children to express talents and apply themselves in an authentic way. Projects should be taken seriously and turned in on time!
- Check your child’s assignment pad nightly to make sure all work has been completed. Nightly homework assignments review and reinforce material covered daily.
- Review class notes with your child. A quick review of daily notes will aid in the understanding of materials covered and will help prepare your child for the final exams.
- Talk to your child about their school day. Building relationships through communication is such an important aspect of fostering life-long learners.
With state testing next week, (April 3rd and 4th), it is imperative to encourage students to demonstrate what they have learned and to put forth amazing effort. These assessments indicate student progress. Please help us set the tone that hard work matters. Putnam Valley is a special place with hard working teachers and students; we can show this by applying what we know on these assessments by exhibiting growth and achievement.
Some of the changes that have had a positive impact on these assessments are:
- Fewer test sessions and questions
- Greater teacher involvement
- Faster results for teachers
- Untimed tests
I want to wish all of our students the best as they build their confidence in addressing state standards and showing off what they have learned!
Key Dates
New York State ELA Assessments will take place on Wednesday, 4/3/19 and Thursday, 4/4/19. This is a great opportunity for students to apply what they have learned and to show off their knowledge. Those students refusing these assessments will take part in review work prepared by teachers in order to have formative feedback. All students are to bring independent reading books and sharpened #2 pencils during these days as well.
We will have a Student/Staff Olympic Competition on Friday, 4/12/19. The grade level with the post points accumulated throughout the year will compete against the staff. On this day we will have a full day of school but run on an abbreviated schedule. This is a wonderful event!
Spring Break will take place from Saturday, 4/13/19 – Monday, 4/22/19. School will resume on Tuesday, 4/23/19.
The third quarter will end on Friday, 4/26/19 and our fourth quarter will begin Monday, 4/29/19. Please log-on to Power School on Thursday, 5/2/19 and review your child’s grades with them. This is a great opportunity for you to communicate expectations and reflect on the year up to this point.
This years musical “Into The Woods” will be showing on Friday, 4/26/19 and Saturday, 4/27/19 at 7:00 p.m. on our very own Middle School stage.
National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony will take place on Monday, 4/29/19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Putnam Valley High School Performing Arts Center.
As you can see, April is a month full of key events. Together we must keep our children focused on the importance of school to ensure a successful last few months of the year.
Sincerely,
Travis W. McCarty
Principal