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Dear Thoreau Families,
As mentioned in my email yesterday, our students are doing an amazing job navigating the OpenGate Weapons Detection system! Today, we had everyone in class by 7:38 AM, and I'm confident we'll reach our goal of having all students in first period before 7:30 AM in just a few more days. Rest assured, we are not marking students tardy as we fine-tune our new arrival routine.
In order to give students and staff a little more time to adjust to the new arrival process, we are delaying the distribution of Yondr cell phone storage pouches until Tuesday, October 21.
Every Thoreau student will receive a numbered pouch and will be responsible for bringing it to school every day. For students without a cell phone, they will simply keep the empty pouch in their backpack. This is key because it allows them to show the pouch during "pouch checks," creating a consistent routine for all students without singling anyone out.
This program was extremely successful last year and is a powerful way to support students in staying focused, safe, and engaged at school! We will review all procedures, including consequences for violating the "Away for the Day" policy (per the SR&R), with students before distribution.
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
Principal
 We are utilizing 3 Open Gate machines for our walkers and bus riders.
Indigenous Peoples' Day will be celebrated on Monday, October 13. This holiday honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of indigenous peoples, past and present. Students will enjoy a three-day weekend, while staff members participate in a day of professional development.
Our staff is committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. Our RISE behavior standards help us achieve this goal, standing for Respect, Integrity, Service, and Engagement.
Students will learn what RISE "looks and sounds like" during Advisory lessons throughout the year. We believe that by teaching and consistently reinforcing these expectations, we empower students to be their best selves. You may hear teachers and staff use this language when celebrating positive choices or guiding behavior.
We encourage you to partner with us at home by discussing the RISE standards and acknowledging when your child exhibits these traits. Students who exemplify these standards are recognized by staff with RISE cards and entered into drawings for prizes.
On Oct. 29 and 30, 7th grade students will be participating in routine vision and hearing screenings. These screenings help identify any concerns that may impact student’s learning and development. Please have your students bring any required eyeglasses or hearing aids to the screening.
At the end of each month we go through the lost and found to search items for names. If they have names, we email the student and parent. We then donate any unclaimed lost and found items such as clothes, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. that don't have names. Please make sure your student is checking the lost and found in the cafeteria periodically to look for lost items. Thank you.
We have been sharing some of the beginning of year assessments occurring in classrooms. Please note that middle school students participate in required state testing throughout the year. State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards. The format and timing of state assessments vary by grade level and content area, as noted in the table below. These include:
- Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science. More information is available on the SOL assessments webpage;
- Ongoing local alternative assessments (LAAs) including performance-based assessments (PBAs) completed as part of classroom instruction in science, writing, and social studies; More information is available on the LAA and PBA webpage.
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Grade
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SOL Content Areas Tested (Spring)
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LAA Contest Areas Tested (Ongoing)
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7
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Reading, Mathematics
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Social Studies
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8
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Science, Reading, Integrated Reading & Writing, Mathematics
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Social Studies
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The Virginia Board of Education allows middle school students who fail SOL tests by a narrow margin to retake the test before the end of the school year. Retesting is available when a student fails their first attempt with a score of 375-399.
ACTION ITEM: To fill out the form for retake permission, please log into the Parent Digital Consent site using your SIS ParentVue account login information. You will then receive an email to the account connected to SIS ParentVue with a code to complete the login process. Once logged into the consent site, please review the Parent Retest Permission form for State Assessments and complete this form to let Thoreau MS know if you would like your student retested on SOL tests if they qualify. You may consent to all retests or specific subjects only. If you have any questions about the SOL tests, please feel free to reach out to our School Testing Coordinator, Erin Lynch, at emlynch@fcps.edu.
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