This week your child is bringing home several assessment documents to share with you, and then return to school, in their orange assessment folder. They must be returned by this Wednesday, November 29, please.

These may include:

• a several-part math assessment
• their personal narrative writing
• their genius hour unit rubric

Math

These assessments stretch back over the first few months of fifth grade and focus on concepts related to place value, and the four operations.

These assessments should be understood as being a snapshot of student understanding on a particular day at a particular time, in a particular way of demonstrating mathematical thinking. This particular way of assessing understanding may present an incomplete picture of student progress. It is for this reason that many forward-thinking institutions have moved away from written assessments as the sole way of testing and grading. ZIS is no exception and these assessments represent only one of several ways data on a student’s mathematical thinking is collected.

Personal Narrative Writing

Over the course of our personal narrative unit, students developed many writing seeds, and worked on many strategies for improving the quality of their writing. Eventually, they chose one seed to draft and evolve. In most cases, the writing in their folder is not to be considered a final “published” piece. It is instead the state this writing had reached by the end of that unit.

As writers, we value process heavily. For a piece of writing to have pasted on notes, parts crossed out or highlited, and other sorts of visible thinking is an integral part of our writing process. We often call these drafts our “Frankenstein drafts” for all these bits and pieces that hang off them.

Genius Hour Rubric

This rubric reflects the students’ first independent inquiry of the year. Those students who have still not yet completed blogging on their inquiry have not yet received their rubrics.

These assessments are being sent home primarily to enrich your conversations with your child about their thinking and learning. Please take the time to look at them with your child, alongside their reflections. Then, sign them (somewhere obvious) and return them promptly to school. They must be returned by this Wednesday, November 29, please.

Many thanks for your ongoing support of your child’s home away from home!

Warm regards,

Jamie