10/22/2021 weeks of october 25 - November 5
SBA Testing - October 26th
Dear Cascade Families, This fall students in grades 4–8 will take the Smarter Balanced or Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM) tests in math and English language arts. Students in grade 6 will also take the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) or the WA-AIM science test. Students had limited in-person time in the classroom and likely experienced fewer opportunities to learn last school year. Last spring’s Smarter Balanced and WCAS testing were postponed to fall as we prioritized critical in-person instruction time for the benefit of students, families, and district staff. The WA-AIM spring 2021 window was extended into fall to allow flexibility for teachers and students, based on student need. Smarter Balanced and WCAS tests were shortened this fall to ensure that students and teachers would have as much time as possible at the start of school year 2021–22 to establish relationships, routines, and activities. The results from the Smarter Balanced and WA-AIM math and/or English language arts tests provide a picture of whether students across the state are on track to be ready for career or college. Knowing your student’s achievement level (1 through 4) will provide an important piece of information as the school year progresses. Your student’s teacher will be able to provide more information about your student’s skills in ELA, math, and science. Our school will have access to the Smarter Balanced and WCAS test scores a few days after students complete the online tests. WA-AIM scores will be available in late January. Most students will take the tests online. Our school is scheduled to take the tests Tuesday, October 26th. For more information about the tests, visit: https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing-overview, and click on the name of the test. To try out an online Smarter Balanced practice test or WCAS training test, visit: https://wa.portal.cambiumast.com/. For more information about the WA-AIM tests, visit: https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing-overview/assessment-students-cognitive-disabilities-wa-aim. Please call or email Ms. Thomsen at [email protected] if you have questions about state testing. Thank you for continuing to work with us to make sure your student is successful. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to better support them. We want your student to leave us with a solid foundation of skills and a future full of opportunities. Sincerely, Meg McGroarty Healthy Youth Survey On October 29th students in 6th and 8th grade will be given the Healthy Youth Survey. It is an anonymous, voluntary survey given in Washington State to measure certain health risks among youths. Students may opt out by signing the Opt Out List in the main office. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions or go to askhys.net if you would like more information. Cascade Clubs 2021-2022 Interested in joining a club or activity? See the flyer for details about clubs. COVID Notifications Due to a change in district policy, letters will now be sent weekly whenever there is a positive COVID case. You can also view COVID results by school on the district dashboard which is updated daily.
10/8/2021 weeks of October 11 - October 22
Principal's Message
It's hard to believe we are officially halfway through the first quarter of the school year, wow! It has been wonderful having students back on campus and seeing their faces every day brings such joy to our staff. We have not started without some bumps in the road and have recognized that social skills need some attention as some of our students are having difficulty dealing with conflict. Know that we will be rolling out lessons in the coming weeks to help students understand and navigate relationships, conflict and social media as each of those areas are having an impact on quite a few students. Lessons along with discussions will take place in various classes. Please ask your child about what they are learning and have follow-up conversations on healthy ways to form and maintain peer relationships, handle conflict and engage in healthy habits around social media. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to navigate school during a pandemic and the many layers that brings with it. Reminders
Attention 8th Grade Parents On Wednesday, October 13, all 8th-grade students will be taking the PSAT at school. Students need to:
Say No to the Tik Tok “Challenge” Some of you may have heard of a recent list of monthly “challenges” on the social media app Tik Tok where individuals are encouraged to steal or damage property, commit assaults, and break a variety of school rules. Numerous incidents of vandalism have stemmed from this Tik Tok “challenge” in our school. Please talk with your student about the very real consequences of participating in this “challenge” and the negative effects of bending to peer pressure found on social media. The behaviors promoted in the “challenges” are illegal and will not be tolerated. Any theft or vandalism to school property, assault on other persons or other rule violations have consequences, including potential suspension, fines and even criminal charges. This is a good opportunity to discuss appropriate technology use and being socially responsible. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a safe school environment. Healthy Youth Survey On October 29th students in 6th and 8th grade will be given the Healthy Youth Survey. It is an anonymous, voluntary survey given in Washington State to measure certain health risks among youths. Students may opt out by signing the Opt Out List in the main office. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions or go to askhys.net if you would like more information. Cascade Clubs 2021-2022 Interested in joining a club or activity? See the flyer for details about clubs. Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) - October 26th Last spring, Washington state submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education and a portion of the waiver was approved, including accountability related to participation rates. In planning for the fall assessments, our goal has been to minimize the impact to scheduling and classroom instructional time while complying with state and federal requirements, which includes a requirement to conduct all testing in person. Grade Level and Content Areas for Testing The table below shows the fall 2021 testing picture across all grade levels. The top row of the table shows the student’s grade during the 2021-22 school year, and the columns underneath show the test(s) by subject the student would take in fall 2021. Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 through October 15th this year. To learn more about it, please click here. COVID Notifications Due to a change in district policy, letters will now be sent weekly whenever there is a positive COVID case. You can also view COVID results by school on the district dashboard which is updated daily.
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