DOUGLAS DRAGONEER

Upcoming Events

April 21-25 Book Fair Week

April 24 “Be A Bug Day” and Science Nighit

April 25 After School Program BBall game

May 5-9 Teacher Appreciation Week

BOOK FAIR – STOCK UP FOR SUMMER

The Spring Book Fair is this week Monday-Friday and will be open every day from 8:45-4:15 except on Thursday when it will stay open until 7:30 during Science Night. We are also having Spirit Week during the Book Fair. Show your school spirit and have fun this week! Come by and check out the books! It is great time to stock up on your summer reading!

School Spirit week

Please remember that everything you wear must meet the school dress code.

Monday, April 21^st: Hat/School Colors Day

Grab a hat and something yellow and green and you are ready!

Tuesday, April 22^nd: Team Day

NCSU, UNC, Duke doesn’t matter, wear your favorite team items to show your support.

Wednesday, April 23^rd: Crazy Day

This will be fun! You can dress like your teacher, mix/match your outfit or just go crazy with what you wear!

Thursday, April 24^th: Bug Day

For Science Night, dress up like you favorite bug.

Friday, April 25^th: Pajama Day

Be cozy, but you have to still work! You can bring a stuffed animal too!

Science Night is Coming!

Come see a Live Heart and learn about how it works; experience Physics with Sanderson’s National Honor Society;

check out The Critter Stop and their Hissing Cockroaches; or hit the Fossil Dig and take home a real Shark’s Tooth!

These are just a few of the exciting science activities that will be available for you to experience at this fun family event.

Join us Thursday, April 24^th! Science night starts with pre-ordered dinner at 5:15pm, and then you’ll be able to choose 3 science rotations from 6:30 to 8pm. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind family evening!!

If you are ordering dinner, please make sure your order form is turned in by Tuesday, April 22. There will be no meals sold the night of. Questions? Contact Mindy Magrath at mark_magrath_1999@yahoo.com.

NOTE TO PARENTS

If you have had a change in of address or with your phone number, please remember to let your teacher and the front office know. This is important in case of an emergency! Thank you.

GOOD JOB!

Congratulations to the Douglas Chorus for a beautiful concert last Wednesday evening! You all sounded wonderful and I am so proud of how you represented Douglas Elementary School. Ms. Zelasky

PLASTIC BAG CHALLENGE – THANK YOU!

Together the students and staff brought together 63 bins and saved the earth from approximately 190,000 bags! We hope to hear soon about whether or not we won the contest, but win or lose, we are glad for the experience to teach about recycling and how to make a difference for keeping the earth a little bit cleaner.

T-shirts still available

If you would like a Douglas T-shirt, there are several youth sizes available in grey and white, as well as many smalls and x-smalls for the kindergartners and little dragons still at home. We have a few adult sizes available (s-xlarge). Call Susan Steltenpohl 788-0941.

Understanding Standards Based Grading: The Fundamentals of 1, 2, 3, 4

Volume 1.1 - This is the first in a series of articles regarding standards based grading

Report cards have arrived home and you are looking at numbers. What do these numbers mean? Where do these numbers come from? Standards Based Grading (SBG) is used to inform parents and students about the student’s progress according to the Standard Course of Study (NC SCoS) as determined by the North Carolina Board of Education. Each student is held accountable for learning the targeted goals and objectives for their grade level.

What do the scores mean:

Level 4 – The student has shown mastery in the targeted objectives and is able to apply this knowledge in other areas. This means the student can achieve new things based on application of skill mastery.

Level 3 – Indicates the student has mastered the objectives as determined for the subject on the NC SCoS. The student is able to work independently to demonstrate this mastery.

Level 2 - The student is able to do the work with assistance. A teacher must offer support in order for the child to successfully complete the work.

Level 1 – The child is unable to do the work independently and often unable to do it when support is given.

Level 3* - This score is given only on report cards. It is not used for assessment scores or daily work. A score of 3* shows targeted objective mastery and indicates that the student is beginning to apply that knowledge in new ways.

How do teachers score student progress?

Teachers use the targeted objectives from the NC SCoS to determine what to teach each quarter. They use profile cards in reading, writing, and math to track student progress. Unlike the grades of A, B, C, etc. where grades are averaged, teachers track student progress throughout the quarter. A student may begin with scores of 1 or 2 on targeted objective however the score given at the end of the quarter is based on skill mastery at the end of the quarter. Grades are NOT averaged.

An example of this would be a student with the following scores on an objective throughout the quarter; 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3. The student will score a 3 on this objective at the end of the quarter because they showed mastery. If these scores had been averaged, the child would have received a 2. Obviously the child has mastered the skill and should not be penalized for his/her learning process. Standards Based Grading (SBG) enables students and parents to have an accurate picture of learning.

What if the student has an IEP?

If the student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) you should receive 2 progress reports each quarter, an Elementary Report Card and an IEP Progress Report. The Elementary Report Card based on standards based grading represents the progress the student has made based on grade level standards. This report card is completed by the child’s classroom teacher. The IEP Progress Report is used to show progress made by the student on their individual education plan. The special education teacher and the classroom teacher should collaborate to implement instruction, to discuss student progress, and decide the scores received by the student.

The After School Program will be having its 2nd Annual After School Parents vs. Douglas Elem. Staff Basketball Game on Friday, April 25th, at 5:30 pm in our school gym. Half time show will be The Dragon Steppers Step Team. Also, our famous Douglas Cheerleaders. This promises to offer lots of family fun!

Week of April 21 – April 25