Show What You Know!
With the onset of spring comes standardized testing season. This year all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students will participate in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in Reading and Math on Wednesday, April 7th through Friday, April 9th. These important assessments provide valuable information regarding your son/daughter’s reading and math skills. If your child is an 8th grader, these tests are used in conjunction with other data for course placement at the high school. Eighth grade students will have additional PSSA tests in Writing and Science later in April. Information on these tests will follow. A list of frequently asked questions regarding the PSSA is enclosed in this mailing for your perusal.
We have talked to students about the importance of giving the PSSA test his/her very best effort. This is a time to “show what you know!” We ask that you assist your child by stressing the importance of getting the necessary rest, eating a healthy breakfast, and being on time for school each of those days, as valuable instructional time may be lost in make-up testing. Our school hours and start times will remain the same, however, we will adjust our internal schedule to accommodate two tests each morning. Additionally, our PTA and Student Council will offer a light breakfast during extended homeroom on Wednesday and Thursday.
As a culminating activity, we will end testing week with our 2nd annual Exploratory Day. Please see the back of this letter for an explanation of this activity. This will be held on Friday afternoon, April 9th from 1:30 – 2:58 PM.
Lastly, we are actively soliciting donations of mini-water bottles to distribute during testing. They can be dropped off in the office at JMS Monday, March 29th - Thursday, April 1st or on April 5th and 6th prior to testing. Your donations are greatly appreciated!
As always, we thank you in advance for your support.
