Hawk Newsletter

Calendars Subject to Change

AASA testing begins March 30 testing continues through April 24

April 3 Good Friday- No school

April 6 - No School

April 13 - First Grade Zoo Field Trip

April 13 - 17- Galileo Testing for Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade classes

April 20 - 24 - Writing Assessment for Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade classes

April 27- Kinder Zoo Field Trip

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we move further into the spring semester, our students are preparing to showcase all the incredible growth they’ve made this year. We will soon begin our annual state testing, AzSci for 5th graders, Oral Reading for 3rd graders, and Math, ELA and Writing for grades 3-5.

These assessments provide us with valuable data to help tailor our instruction and celebrate your child’s academic milestones. Our goal is to make this experience as low-stress and positive as possible.

📅 Our Testing Schedule

• AzSci - 5th Grade: March 26

• Writing- 5th Grade: March 30

• Writing - 4th Grade: March 31

• Writing - 3rd Grade: April 2

• Oral Reading Fluency - 3rd Grade April 7

• ELA and Math Part 1 - 5th Grade: April 9

• ELA and Math Part 2 - 5th Grade: April 10

• ELA and Math Part 1 - 4th Grade: April 13

• ELA and Math Part 2- 4th Grade: April 14

• ELA and Math Part 1 - 3rd Grade: April 16

• ELA and Math Part 2 - 3rd Grade: April 17

💡 How You Can Help at Home

Your support is the biggest factor in helping your child feel confident. Here are a few ways you can help them shine:

• Rest is Best: Ensure your child gets a full night’s sleep (8–10 hours). A well-rested brain processes information much faster.

• Fuel Up: A healthy, protein-rich breakfast on testing mornings helps maintain focus and prevents the "mid-morning slump."

• On-Time Arrival: Arriving at school a few minutes early helps students settle into their environment calmly rather than rushing to their desks.

• Attendance: PLEASE avoid scheduling doctor or dentist appointments on testing days.

• The Power of "Yet": Remind them that if they hit a hard question, they just don't know the answer yet. Encourage them to do their best and move on.

• Electronics Policy: Smartwatches and cell phones are prohibited in testing rooms.

We are so proud of the hard work our students have put in this year.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our learning community.

Dear AJ Mitchell Families,

Spring is here, and with it comes a season of growth, both inside and outside the classroom! As we enter the final stretch of the school year, I am so proud of the hard work, perseverance, and dedication our students continue to show each day.

April is the perfect time to focus on a growth mindset. We remind our students that mistakes are opportunities to learn, challenges help us grow stronger, and effort leads to success. Encouraging your child to keep trying—even when things feel difficult—helps build confidence and resilience that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

With state testing season upon us, here are a few simple ways you can support your child:

• Ensure they get a good night’s sleep each evening
• Provide a healthy breakfast each morning
• Encourage a positive attitude—remind them to do their best
• Arrive at school on time to avoid missing important testing sessions

Our students have been working hard all year, and this is their time to shine!

To add a little fun, here are some April Fun Facts:

• April is known for April Fool’s Day on the 1st—watch out for silly surprises!
• The month is often associated with rain, bringing the phrase “April showers bring May flowers.”
• Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, reminding us to take care of our planet
• The diamond is April’s birthstone, symbolizing strength and clarity

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we will finish this school year strong and continue helping our Hawks soar to success!

Warmly,

Christina Dang

AJ Mitchell Principal

As we enter testing season, it’s normal for students to feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. A little bit of stress can help us stay focused, but too much can make it harder to do our best. Here are some helpful tips to support your child:

Test-Taking Tips:

• Take your time – Read each question carefully before answering
• Do your best – It’s okay if you don’t know every answer right away
• Use strategies – Eliminate wrong answers and make your best choice
• Stay positive – Encourage self-talk like “I can do this!”
• Check your work if time allows

Ways to Manage Anxiety:

• Practice deep breathing – Slow breaths in and out can calm the body
• Get plenty of rest – A good night’s sleep helps the brain stay focused
• Stay organized – Knowing what to expect can reduce worry
• Talk it out – Encourage your child to share their feelings with a trusted adult
• Take breaks when possible – A quick stretch or pause can help reset the mind

Being Kind to Yourself and Others:
Testing season can be stressful for everyone, so it’s important to practice kindness:

• Be patient with yourself—learning takes time
• Encourage classmates with positive words
• Show respect to teachers and peers
• Remember: Everyone is doing their best

Together, we can help our students feel confident, supported, and ready to succeed.

WORDS TO KNOW: Practice reading and spelling these words that children will see a lot in books they read: all, home, into, keep, know, like, made, make, many, out, right, same, take, time, why, would.

March was, without a doubt, our most reading-filled month! Our students enjoyed a variety of stories that brought imagination, learning, and fun into our classroom. We celebrated the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss, explored Irish culture through special activities, and ended the month by discovering the wonders of nature as we welcomed spring.

We also took time to recognize Down Syndrome Awareness Day, celebrating kindness, inclusion, and the importance of appreciating what makes each of us unique.

In math, we continued building confidence with addition and subtraction, working with larger numbers and embracing new challenges along the way.

It has been such a joy to watch our students continue to grow and blossom in their learning—just like the beautiful flowers that brighten our beloved school!

Math - In math, our class will continue to use different models and strategies for addition and apply them to adding 3-digit numbers. In this module, students build conceptual understanding of how place value relates to addition by creating concrete and visual models of three-digit addition problems. They decompose the three-digit addends and find the sum by adding the hundreds and hundreds, tens and tens, and the ones and ones. By using concrete models and drawing quick pictures,students will be able to distinguish each place value and recognize when they must regroup the ones and/or tens. In later lessons, Students will connect their conceptual understanding of place value to traditional algorithms that require regrouping in addition.

Science - In Unit 3, students explored the Earth’s surface, including its landforms and bodies of water, and how maps represent land and water on Earth. In this unit,

Social Studies - In our current chapter, students compare and contrast wants and needs. They will learn about goods and services, and how we get them. Students will discover how wants and needs connect our communities. To enrich your child's understanding of the above-mentioned concepts, you may ask your child these questions: What is the difference between a good and a service? What about a want and a need? Discuss these questions with your child.

In ELA, we will be starting Module 9 where we will integrate Science to learn more about where our food comes from and agriculture. In Math, we will be working on Module 19 where we will learn how to identify two-dimensional shapes. Also, as we move closer to state testing, we are working on reviewing and reteaching power standards to get our students feeling ready and confident for AASA. We are also actively practicing how to navigate TestNav and use all the tools embedded in the testing platform to ensure our students have a successful testing season.

This is the website you can go into to practice for the AASA test:

https://home.testnav.com

We are excited to share all the great learning happening in 4th grade!

In Science, students have been working on engaging, hands-on projects focused on energy. Soon, we will begin learning about landform formations, another exciting unit that students always enjoy. These interactive activities help deepen understanding while making learning fun and meaningful.

We also had some incredible visitors during Love of Reading Week! Students were excited to listen to stories and celebrate reading, especially enjoying books by Dr. Seuss.

In Math and ELA, students have been reviewing essential standards in preparation for the upcoming AASA Testing. We are working hard to build confidence and reinforce important skills.

4th Grade AASA Testing Dates: March 31 – Writing, April 13 – ELA & Math (Part 1), April 14 – ELA & Math (Part 2)

Please support your child by encouraging them to practice at home using TestNav for writing, math, and ELA. Students can also review their notebooks to strengthen their understanding.

The 4th grade team is expecting all students to be present and on time every day, especially during testing days, as this is very important for their success.

Thank you for your continued support!

-4th Grade Team

We continue to learn, and now practice, our test taking skills.

ELA ~ We are working on reviewing the different text structures, and will begin learning about the Lives of Animals in Module 10 of the HMH curriculum.

Math ~ We are learning about Graphs and Patterns and will begin a unit on classifying 2 dentitional figures.

Writing ~ We just finished our D.A.R.E. essays, will continue putting together the "All About Me" lessons, and will begin to focus more on Informational writing.

Social Studies ~ We continue to study Early Presidents, and how the government runs.

Science ~ We will begin working on individual science experiments and the scientific method that is involved in making an experiment successful.

Students will begin practicing songs and routines for their upcoming transition ceremony.

We are postponing the parent meeting until testing season is over.