Grades K-5 Elementary
August Updates
August Message from the Elementary Asst. Principal
August News from Grades K-5
Welcome back to school! We welcome you to ACA for the 2023-2024 School Year!! Your teachers and I hope you all had a wonderful summer and that you are ready for a new school year of learning and growing. We are so happy to be working with each of our families, and we are looking forward to a great year! Please regularly check your teacher message boards, the Family Events Calendar, and this website for important information and resources. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me and your teachers with any questions. Thank you! Have a great start! Deanna Woerner, M. Ed Elementary School Asst. Principal MOWR (Move on When Reading) Requirements
**Please READ BELOW** Teacher Grading and Response Timelines
Teachers are expected to respond to phone, text, and/or webmail messages within 24 hours. As a reminder, teachers are in Live Lessons and individual student calls for most of their day.
Teachers are expected to grade submitted work within 7 days of student submission. |
Lesson Completion
As a Learning Coach, it is important to know that some students work more quickly than others. If your student is struggling to complete the lessons, please reach out to the teacher. Teachers can offer support and advise in helping with individual needs. *This is advised before selecting to skip items within the lessons, which have been designed to support your student's full understanding of the concept. Additionally, all assessments should be completed independently. (Per Honor Code and Academic Integrity Policies) Fall Benchmark Assessments
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Community Board and REP ACA activities!
Be sure to check out the Elementary School Community Board with REP ACA forms for the month of August! We are excited to get to know you!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fNYQ4I-imgU_32Lw7dkpptQt40ASyDOdYtWBPnLZQUc/edit?usp=sharing
REP ACA!
ACA students, staff, and families will follow our school’s core values: Be Responsible, Be Engaged, and Persevere!
State Testing Update
State Testing Dates: Students in grades 3-8 will test for three days.
AASA and AzSci for students in Grades 3-8: April 2nd - April 4th, 2024
OR April 9th - April 11th, 2024
Schedule:
Day One: Writing (all grades) and Science Part 1 & 2 (5th and 8th grade only)
Day Two: Math Part 1, Reading Part 1 (all grades)
Day Three: Math Part 2, Reading Part 2 (all grades), Science Part 3 (5th and 8th grade only)
Please add these dates to your calendar now so students are available during state testing.
State Testing Dates: Students in grades 3-8 will test for three days.
AASA and AzSci for students in Grades 3-8: April 2nd - April 4th, 2024
OR April 9th - April 11th, 2024
Schedule:
Day One: Writing (all grades) and Science Part 1 & 2 (5th and 8th grade only)
Day Two: Math Part 1, Reading Part 1 (all grades)
Day Three: Math Part 2, Reading Part 2 (all grades), Science Part 3 (5th and 8th grade only)
Please add these dates to your calendar now so students are available during state testing.
Student of the Month---coming soon!
Arizona Move On When Reading Law (Grades K-3)
Dear K-3 Parents & Guardians,
In Arizona Connections Academy our focus is on providing the best high-quality reading instruction to all students each day. Through a process called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), all kindergarten through third grade students are screened for reading difficulties and/or characteristics consistent with dyslexia in the fall, winter, and spring using Acadience Reading K-6. This literacy universal screening process is a brief assessment administered to all K-3 students to inform teachers of students who are on track and students who may need more targeted intervention. This screening does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia.
Per the universal screener, students who are not on benchmark are administered a deeper diagnostic assessment. This diagnostic information provides teachers and specialists with the specific skills needed to target in intervention. Those interventions are started immediately, working to close the gaps. This diagnostic assessment does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia. A change in intervention curriculum, group size, level of intensity, frequency, and/or duration may be needed. More intensive time, duration, and frequency in intervention may be needed and can take place with the classroom teacher or a specialist, such as a reading interventionist. This is considered intensive Tier 3 intervention. The progress of all students receiving intervention is closely and frequently checked. Parents are essential to this entire process. Following the Universal Literacy and Dyslexia Screener in addition to diagnostic assessments, you will be notified if your child is not at grade level.
Arizona’s Move On When Reading (MOWR) legislation places great importance on this process beginning in kindergarten. This ensure all students remain on track to be reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Arizona Revised Statute §15-701 states that if a student scores below the cut score on the reading portion of the 3rd grade statewide exam, he/she will not be promoted to 4th grade until the student makes sufficient progress in reading proficiency. It is understood that each child is unique, therefore exemptions have been established for students to be promoted to 4th grade. Those exemptions are available at www.azed.gov/mowr.
A variety of factors, in and outside of school, can influence a child’s educational path and progress. It is important for parents to share in the educational journey, through constant communication and continued involvement. We encourage you to continue to highlight and celebrate your child’s strengths and share difficulties if they occur. Please reach out to us if you have any questions and we look forward to a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Deanna Woerner, M. Ed.
ES Asst. Principal
In Arizona Connections Academy our focus is on providing the best high-quality reading instruction to all students each day. Through a process called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), all kindergarten through third grade students are screened for reading difficulties and/or characteristics consistent with dyslexia in the fall, winter, and spring using Acadience Reading K-6. This literacy universal screening process is a brief assessment administered to all K-3 students to inform teachers of students who are on track and students who may need more targeted intervention. This screening does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia.
Per the universal screener, students who are not on benchmark are administered a deeper diagnostic assessment. This diagnostic information provides teachers and specialists with the specific skills needed to target in intervention. Those interventions are started immediately, working to close the gaps. This diagnostic assessment does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia. A change in intervention curriculum, group size, level of intensity, frequency, and/or duration may be needed. More intensive time, duration, and frequency in intervention may be needed and can take place with the classroom teacher or a specialist, such as a reading interventionist. This is considered intensive Tier 3 intervention. The progress of all students receiving intervention is closely and frequently checked. Parents are essential to this entire process. Following the Universal Literacy and Dyslexia Screener in addition to diagnostic assessments, you will be notified if your child is not at grade level.
Arizona’s Move On When Reading (MOWR) legislation places great importance on this process beginning in kindergarten. This ensure all students remain on track to be reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Arizona Revised Statute §15-701 states that if a student scores below the cut score on the reading portion of the 3rd grade statewide exam, he/she will not be promoted to 4th grade until the student makes sufficient progress in reading proficiency. It is understood that each child is unique, therefore exemptions have been established for students to be promoted to 4th grade. Those exemptions are available at www.azed.gov/mowr.
A variety of factors, in and outside of school, can influence a child’s educational path and progress. It is important for parents to share in the educational journey, through constant communication and continued involvement. We encourage you to continue to highlight and celebrate your child’s strengths and share difficulties if they occur. Please reach out to us if you have any questions and we look forward to a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Deanna Woerner, M. Ed.
ES Asst. Principal