Lower School - 8/27
Good afternoon families,
Beginning Tuesday, September 8, students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 will participate in NWEA Fluency testing.
NWEA Fluency gives teachers valuable information about the foundational reading skills students are developing, including phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, oral reading fluency, and comprehension. The assessment helps us understand each student's current strengths and identify areas where additional instruction or support may be helpful.
This assessment is not about earning a grade or passing a test. Instead, it gives teachers another important piece of information to use alongside classroom observations, student work, and daily instruction. The data helps us plan small group instruction, provide targeted support, monitor growth, and celebrate progress throughout the year.
As a Christian school, we also believe that each student is uniquely created by God and entrusted with gifts that can be developed over time. Assessment is one way we seek to know our students well so we can faithfully support their growth. We want students to approach learning with perseverance and confidence, remembering that they are called to do their work wholeheartedly, “as for the Lord”, Colossians 3:23.
Helping Your Child Do Their Best
Families can help students feel prepared by keeping testing simple and positive.
• Encourage your child to listen carefully and take their time.
• Remind them that they are not expected to know every answer, they should simply give their best effort.
• Make sure your child gets a full night's rest before testing.
• Provide a healthy breakfast so they arrive ready to learn.
• Encourage them to stay focused, persevere, and keep trying when something feels challenging.
A simple reminder such as, “Do your best, use the gifts God has given you, and show what you know,” can help students approach testing with confidence.
Our goal is not simply to collect scores, but to use the information wisely as we help each student grow academically, develop perseverance, and steward the abilities God has given them.
In His Service,
Dr. Rachel David
Lower School Principal
Culture in Action
This week in chapel, our K through 6 students spent time talking about what it really means to be an MCA Mustang. We introduced our Pre-K-6 School administrative team, then focused on how each student helps shape the culture of our school through the choices they make every day.
Culture in Action is more than a phrase, it is the daily practice of choosing kindness, respect, courage, responsibility, and Christ-centered character in classrooms, hallways, at lunch, during recess, and everywhere in between. Using Colossians 3:17 as our foundation, students were encouraged to ask themselves, Is it true? Is it kind? Is it helpful? Does it honor God? We also challenged them to put Culture in Action into practice this week by choosing to Notice, Include, and Serve.
Our hope is that students understand that being an MCA Mustang is about more than what they know. It is about who they are becoming, young people who love Jesus, value others, and actively help build a school culture where every person feels known, valued, and loved.
X-TENDED DAY PROGRAM FLYER PG. 1
X-TENDED DAY PROGRAM FLYER PG. 2
X-Tended Day Pick-up Procedures
