Trojan Update

Email: june.williams@tri-countyschools.com
Website: https://www.tri-countyschools.com/
Location: 3003 State Hwy 22, Thornburg, IA, USA
Phone: 641--634-2636
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TCTrojans2018

Hello Tri-County Students and Families! I am pleased to announce the first month of school ran smoothly as the student’s transitioned back into the routine. They did well with the new procedures in place and everyone was happy to see one another.

All students in grades K-12th have undergone FASTbridge assessments in the areas of mathematics, literacy, and SEL (Socio-emotional learning). The mandated assessments occur three times a year. Any student needing additional support will receive interventions within their classroom to further support and strengthen student achievement.

The What Cheer and Keswick Fire Department will be presenting to students in grades PK-2nd on October 7th for Fire Prevention Week. The students will have a short presentation in the HS gymnasium to ensure safe social distancing.

The Fall Play presented by Mr. Hrasky and the drama students will be presented on Friday, October 23rd at the football field. Please bring lawn chairs as seating will not be provided.

Important Notes

• Please do not send peanut butter or peanut products to school with your child. We are a peanut free campus. Please respect this.

• We are not allowing birthday treats at this time being sent or brought to the school.

• If you would like to donate school supplies, please purchase online and have them shipped to the school.

• Please notify June if your child does not feel well at Ext. #140

• Please make sure you send a labeled water bottle with your child or let June or I know if you need one

• Cell phones stay in backpacks unless at breakfast/lunch/or in the gym while waiting for your lunch shift

• In the case of a closure the following media will be utilized:

• School Messenger (phone call or email)

• TC Website

• TC Facebook Page

• KCRG

• KWWL

• KBOE radio

• KGAN

I anticipate a great year and I am pleased to have everyone back together. I will continue to keep you informed and updated as we progress through the school year.

I hope everyone stays healthy!

Take care,

~Ms. Jennifer Berg

jennifer.berg@tri-countyschools.com

Tri-County continues to use Fastbridge reading, math and SEL assessments and weekly progress monitoring to check progress of our students. At this time we are testing students to see where they fall amongst students across the state and nation.

CBMreading (Curriculum-Based Measurement for Reading) is an evidence-based, one-minute assessment used for universal screening in English (Grades 1-6), and for frequent progress monitoring (Grades 1-6). It is a simple and efficient procedure. FAST provides benchmark targets for performance to help identify students at-risk for academic failure.CBMreading assessments are predictive of risk, quick to administer, and sensitive to growth. Substantial research evidence demonstrates that CBMreading is a robust indicator of reading development and a useful predictor of student performance on state tests. CBMreading is an index of word reading efficiency, which is an important ability that facilitates reading comprehension. Students who read a grade-level passage with efficiency are better able to use their cognitive resources to comprehend while reading.

CBMreading is used to screen students up to five times per year. Benchmark standards (i.e., “cut scores” or “targets”) are built into the system to assist in determining which students are at-risk for academic failure versus those who are on track to be successful. Students with deficit achievement are quickly identified for additional intervention. The data also identify and inform instructional decisions for on-track and high-performers.

The profiles of students’ skill strengths and areas of difficulty can provide useful information to plan instruction. Each individual and group report within FAST is available instantly, expediting the process for teachers.

Kindergarten students are tested on early reading strategies as well. Things included are: letter names, letter sounds, parts of a book, beginning short words such as cat, map, can.

Progress Monitoring

CBMreading is uniquely designed to accommodate quick, easy, frequently delivered assessments (e.g., weekly, biweekly), which provide useful data to monitor student progress and evaluate response to instruction. Progress monitoring helps teachers evaluate instructional effects and determine if differentiated instruction and interventions are effective. Students that receive Title 1 or Special Education services will be progress monitored weekly.

Assessments Included

Both FASTtrack Reading and FASTtrack Math include a combination of specific and broad measures. This combination allows the FastBridge system to identify the best focus of instruction for an entire class as well as for small groups of students who need intervention. The following assessments measure the specific and broad skills at each grade level:

Grades

Reading

Math

Specific

Broad

Specific

Broad

K-1

earlyReading English subtests

earlyReading English Composite

earlyMath subtests

earlyMath Composite

2

CBMreading English

aReading

CBMmath Automaticity – L2 GOM

aMath

3

CBMreading English

aReading

CBMmath Automaticity – L3 GOM

aMath

4-12

AUTOreading Composite

aReading

CBMmath Automaticity – L3 GOM

aMath*

Screening

SAEBRS can be used to identify students who are at risk for general, social, academic, and emotional behaviors at least three times a year. By evaluating in which of the three specific domains a student is at risk, educators may determine what type of supports are most appropriate and which problem behaviors should be prioritized through intervention. For instance, if a student is only at risk for emotional problems, then a school may decide to target emotional behaviors via the application of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs.

Target Population

The SAEBRS is designed for universal screening of student risk for social-emotional and behavior problems for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

If you have any questions about the Fastbridge assessments feel free to contact me:

Submitted by: Mrs. Andrews

2020 has been a roller coaster of emotions, and music can really speak to all of them. There’s a song for happiness, and one for grief. If you can’t find one to fit the current mood, you can always write your own.

The 5th and 6th grade are doing just that. They have brainstormed themes from this year—from wearing masks to shortages at Wal-Mart—and are writing parodies using common tunes. London Bridge and BINGO lend a hand to express what students are thinking about.

The Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st grades are also making up their own verses to “Little Red Wagon” and playing quarter notes and eighth notes. The 2nd and 3rd grades are learning to accompany their songs with ostinatos, short repeated patterns of notes or rhythms.

The 4th grade is busy conquering notes on the treble staff to begin playing recorders. More information about that will be coming home soon.

Online students stay current with us through assignments posted in Google Classroom. It’s a very challenging year, but “smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” It’s a good year to grow as musicians and citizens.

Haunted Hallway preparation is well under way by the Junior Class and we would appreciate nothing more than your DONATIONS!!

Please take a look at our list of things we need. This list is NOT limited to these items - we would welcome many more Halloween/spooky items.

Please message Mrs. Heady at victoria.heady@tri-countyschools.com if you would be willing to donate/loan some items to the Haunted Hallway.

TC would GREATLY appreciate it to help us make it the best we can be!

Underlined items: high need or high volume needed of these.

Materials needed for Haunted Hallway:

Black sheets

Yellow raincoat

Cardboard (large boxes)

Purple Halloween lights

Rocking Chair

Dollhouse

Dog kennel

Halloween decorations (headstones, coffins, skeletons, cautions tape)

White sheets

Halloween face paint

Tricycle

Dolls

Halloween masks

Glow in the dark paint

Cobwebs

Black gloves ( Cotton, latex, or vinyl)

Strobe lights

Seventh grade won all three games with scores of: 25-14, 25-9, 25-11. At the serving line Ayla Hall was 18/19, Raegan Molyneux was 13/14, Lily Randall was 11/15, Gabby Bunker was 6/9, Marissa Little was ⅘, and Avie Lowe was 2/4. Gabby went ½ with good sets, Raegan was 2/2 setting, and Lily was 1/1 setting. Lily went 1/1 hitting, and Gabby was ½ with one kill.

Eighth grade also won all three games. Those scores were 25-17, 26-16, and 25-19. At the serving line Raegan served 12/13, Jordyn Hughes served 11/12, Ayla served 11/13, Lily served 9/13, Aaliyah Cooper served ⅞, and Marissa served ⅗. Lily was 7/7 on her sets, and Raegan was 4/4 on her sets. Lily was ⅔ hitting with one kill. Jordyn was 2/6 on her hitting and Marissa went ¼.

As the coach I am very proud of this team. They work very hard in practice, and it shows in their games. Our strengths right now are serving and hitting. This group of junior high girls hit the volleyball very well.