HAPPY OPS APPRECIATION WEEK!

This week, we are celebrating the amazing Operations team! These dynamic 5 ladies are the heartbeats of our school. They are the first people you see when you arrive at school, the ones who will give you a call if you are absent, the ones who take care of all scholars when they are in need, the ones who ensure that our scholars want for nothing...simply put, they are the ones who keep our school strong and vibrant. Our school could not function without them! Please send an email or love to these ladies this week! They deserve all the love and more! <3

           Ms. Cantave                         Ms. Gilbert                Ms. Volkmar

                               Ms. Charles                          Ms. Umstead

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Our School Wide goal is for each grade to be at 85% proficiency in reading by the end of the year. Proficiency means that scholars are on grade level (where they should be at the end of the year.Here are our results at this point in the year:

In order to see significant growth, our family partnership is KEY! Here are just a few ways to support reading at home:

• Ask the teacher during report card conferences “How can I support my child with reading at home?” and “How can I ensure my child is proficient in reading by the end of the year?”

• Read with your child every night. Ask questions like

  • Who are the characters in the story

  • What is the problem?

  • What is the author trying to teach me?

  • How do the characters feel and how do you know?

• Support your child to read like they speak. If their reading sounds robotic, ask them to go back and read it like a conversation.

• Bring enthusiasm when your child is reading at home. Kids will love reading if they know you love it too!

UPDATE ON STATE TESTS (3RD AND 4TH GRADE FAMILIES ONLY)

We have recently learned that there is a strong possibility that all states will be required to administer state exams this year. While NYC is still trying to be granted an exemption, we need to operate under the assumption that the ELA and Math exams will be given. While there are many details that we still do not know, we want to assure you that Achievement First has decided that this data will not be used in promotion or advancement decisions, school evaluations or rankings of any kind. This is different from previous years so we wanted to share it broadly with all families.

In order to ensure that our scholars are set up to feel confident and stress free during the exam we will be taking an ELA practice assessment on Thursday March 18th and Friday March 19th. These practice tests are short assessments that will expose scholars to this type of testing experience and will give their teachers key information on how to support their scholars over the next few weeks. We will not be communicating the scores on the practice assessment as they are solely being used as a practice. 

As we learn more about testing specifics we will share them in the coming weeks. Please take a few minutes to read this letter HERE

Thank you for taking the time to support your child’s teachers by completing a short survey for them. TCP surveys are a pivotal part of a teacher’s professional advancement here at Achievement First and we are sure your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
 

Please use this access code and click this link http://afsurvey.org/ to complete the survey. 

If you cannot find your access code, please email us at crownheightselementary2@achievementfirst.org and we will resend it to you.

Should you have trouble accessing these surveys, please contact our main office at crownheightselementary2@achievementfirst.org or support+af@panoramaed.com for assistance. 

Dear 4th Grade Families:                                                 

We are very excited to connect with you in the coming weeks as you and your child prepare to transition from 4^th grade at Crown Heights Elementary School to 5^th grade at Crown Heights Middle School.  My name is Jasmine Harris and I am the Lower School Dean of Students at Crown Heights Middle School. I will be working with, Levar Leys, the office Coordinator at CHMS, along with your trusted team at Crown Heights Elementary School to ensure that the transition to middle school is a positive, efficient and smooth experience.
 

We know that you may have questions about enrollment process especially during these unprecedented times.  Over the next couple of weeks, you will be invited to a series of events that will prepare you and your child for the transition to our school.  All events will be virtual, and you will receive frequent reminders to attend.  We invite and encourage you to attend as many as you can. Here is what you can expect:

·         ~ 2 info sessions

·         ~ 6 orientation sessions

·         4^th grade Virtual Tour

We look forward to meeting you soon.  If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us with any questions to our emails.
 

Thank you,

Jasmine Harris
Email: jasminefyffe@achievementfirst.org                                                                         
Lower School Dean of Students, CHMS   

and 

Levar Leys
Email: levarleys@achievementfirst.org

Office Coordinator, CHMS

• Free or low cost
• Provides a consistent tutor
• Provides a higher frequency of 2+ times a week for 1-2 hours
• Provides one-on-one or small group tutoring