Farmer Focus

Happy October, Farmer Families!

It is hard to believe we are already approaching the end of the first quarter! The first several weeks of school have flown by, and I am proud of the work our Farmers and staff have put in to make it a great start to the year.

As we finish the first quarter, this is a great time to reflect on the progress students have made and where we can continue to Raise the Bar moving forward. Growth does not always happen overnight, and we want our students to understand that success comes from continuing to work hard, learn from mistakes, and keep pushing themselves to improve.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are also coming up this month. These conversations are an important opportunity for families and teachers to connect about your child's progress, celebrate successes, and discuss areas where we can continue working together. Our partnership with families makes a tremendous difference, and we appreciate the time you take to be involved in your child's education.

Of course, October also brings Fall Break! I hope our students, families, and staff are able to enjoy some well-deserved time to rest, recharge, and spend time together. When we return, we will be ready to begin the second quarter and continue building on the great start we have had.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Shawswick Elementary and for trusting us with your children each day. We are proud of our Farmers and excited for everything still ahead this school year!

Sincerely,

Mr. George

• Week of October 5th | 5th/6th Grade Basketball Tryouts
• October 6 - E-Learning Day/No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• October 7 - Early Release Day
• October 9 - End of the First Quarter
• October 12 - October 16 | Fall Break - No School
• October 20 - Picture Retakes
• October 23 - First Quarter Grades Reported
• October 28 - Early Release Day

Basketball tryouts for 5th and 6th grade students will be held Monday, October 5; Tuesday, October 6; and Thursday, October 8.

Boys: 3:00–4:30 p.m.
Girls: 5:00–6:30 p.m.

Students must have a current physical on file in the school office in order to participate in tryouts.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 6. This is a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress during the first quarter, and talk about ways we can continue working together to support their success.

If a conference has not yet been scheduled, please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible to arrange a time. We look forward to seeing our Farmer families!

This year, students in grades 3–6 are using standards-based grading in mathematics. Instead of receiving a traditional percentage or letter grade, students receive a 1–4 score that shows their current level of progress toward meeting each grade-level standard.

4 – Exceeds the Standard: Demonstrates understanding beyond the grade-level expectation
3 – Meets the Standard: Demonstrates the expected grade-level understanding
2 – Approaching the Standard: Making progress but has not yet consistently met the grade-level expectation
1 – Beginning: Demonstrates limited understanding and needs additional support

One important thing to remember is that these standards represent what students are expected to know by the end of the school year. Because of that, seeing 1s and 2s early in the year is not necessarily a cause for concern. Scores should grow and change as students receive more instruction and have additional opportunities to demonstrate their learning.

Standards-based grading is designed to give families a clearer picture of what a student knows and what they are still working toward, rather than averaging assignments into one overall grade.

Teachers will be happy to explain your child’s scores in more detail and answer any questions during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

If you have questions, you can contact our nurse, Caitlyn Anderson, at 812-279-3115 or andersonca@nlcs.k12.in.us.

We highly encourage ALL families to fill out the free and reduced lunch application. This helps our school out with funding, and could have other financial benefits for students and families. Thank you!