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January 2023 Principal Newsletter by Erika A. Krohn

Principal's Message

Dear Handy Families,

Happy January and New Year!

During December, students were busy taking iReady Benchmark #2 in both reading and math. Additionally, Kindergarten-2nd grade students took Acadience assessments to show achievement in letter names/sounds, first sound fluency, nonsense words, and most importantly: Oral Reading Fluency (how many words per minute a student can read.) Here at Handy, we take student progress very seriously. We are constantly analyzing that students are receiving appropriate instruction to move them forward. Please read the article below about our Benchmark #2 results!

Also in December, we focused on the core value of Generosity and participated in several fun spirit days to celebrate the holidays. This January, we are speaking with students about new goals for reading and math achievement as measured by iReady. Additionally, we are working on the core value of Cooperation. Teachers are also busy with preparing English Learners to take the annual English Language Proficient Assessment for California (ELPAC) which will be administered in late February and March.

Follow Handy Elementary school on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for weekly happenings at Handy! Please scroll down to see a complete list of January events.

I encourage every Handy scholar to give their best effort each and every day because: Learning today makes a brighter tomorrow!

With gratitude,

Erika A. Krohn, Principal

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iReady Benchmark #2 Results

Prior to leaving for Winter Break, 1st-6th graders took the iReady Benchmark #2 to measure their progress. Kindergarteners took the assessment for the first time during this window. Our school goals are that 95% of our students make Typical Growth (the average annual growth of students at each grade and placement level) by the end of the school year, and 40% of our students achieve Stretch Growth (the growth recommended to put students who placed below grade level on a path toward proficiency and students who placed on grade level on a path to advanced proficiency levels) by the end of the school year. See the snapshots below of Benchmark #2 Growth:

As you can see, we've already reached our End of Year Goal in some grade levels. Currently, teachers and staff are analyzing individual student data to plan appropriate lessons, put students in Tier 2 interventions, and set goals so that each student makes their End of Year goal. Way to go scholars! Keep up the hard work!

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Attendance Matters!

The CA Dashboard defines students as "chronically absent" if they miss 10% or more of the school year. Since our school year is 180 days long, students who miss 18 or more days are labeled as "chronically absent." The CA Dashboard recently released our results for the 2021/2022 school year. Handy School had 21.5% of students who were chronically absent which ranked our school as Very High for this indicator (the goal is to be Very Low.) Currently this school year, we have 12.94% of students who are chronically absent. Let's work on keeping healthy and coming to school so that we can achieve a better mark on the CA Dashboard this year. Most importantly, students can't learn if they miss instruction. Lastly, if you know your child needs to be out for an extended period of time, please let your child's teacher and Ms. Roberta in the office know, so that we can put your child on an Independent Study Contract. Thank you for your attention to Good Attendance!

Here is a link to explore the CA Dashboard in depth:

https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/30666216029805/2022#chronic-absenteeism-card

Save the Date: Handy STEAM Night-January 24

On Tuesday, January 24 from 5:00-6:30, Handy School will be hosting STEAM Night for all Handy families. STEAM Night is a great way to have fun with your child learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math! We will have 11 stations to visit and complete an interactive activity with your child. Hope to see you there!