Dear Parent and Caregivers,
This week, our early childhood explorers have been out across campus looking for signs of spring. While they didn’t find a green river like the one in Chicago, they did find plenty of other clues that the season is changing. Budding trees, warmer sunshine, and students eager to be outside all remind us that spring is on its way. Another sign of the season at school is the arrival of parent–teacher conferences, a time when we reflect on the growth our students have made and look ahead together.
During conferences, teachers will share a range of information about your child’s learning. You will see work samples, hear about classroom observations, and review assessment data that help us understand progress over time. No single data point tells the whole story, but when we look at these pieces together, we gain a clearer picture of how students are developing as readers, writers, mathematicians, and thinkers.
One of the assessments we use is the NWEA MAP, a nationally normed assessment that helps us understand how students are performing compared with students across the country. I am proud to share that our lower school students continue to perform well above national averages. This winter, our median math score was the 77th percentile, and the median reading score was the 78th percentile (in grades 2-4).
These results reflect the strong work happening in classrooms every day. Just as important, we look closely at growth. Our goal is for students to show meaningful progress from fall to winter and beyond, regardless of where they begin.
In reading, we also use DIBELS to monitor foundational literacy skills, such as accuracy, fluency, and comprehension, in grades kindergarten through fourth grade. This winter, more than three-quarters of our students are meeting or exceeding grade-level benchmarks on this assessment. Teachers use this information, along with classroom observations and daily work, to form flexible small groups for reading instruction. These groups shift throughout the year so students can receive the right support, practice, or challenge at the right time.
Again, these assessments are only one piece of the puzzle. They help inform instruction, but they do not define a child. Teachers use this information alongside daily classroom work, writing samples, reading conferences, and observations to guide learning.
A few tips for making the most of conferences:
- Ask about growth over time rather than focusing on one score.
- Look at work samples to see how skills show up in real classroom learning.
- Share what you notice at home about reading habits, interests, or challenges.
- Leave with a few clear ways you can support learning between now and the end of the year.
We are grateful for the strong partnership we share with families. When school and home work together, students feel supported, challenged, and confident in their learning. I look forward to seeing many of you during conferences!
Mark Your Calendars!
Ending the year by showcasing learning with our families is an important tradition in the lower school. These mornings give students the chance to share their work, reflect on their growth, and celebrate the learning that has taken place throughout the year. We look forward to welcoming families to campus to see the learning in action.
- Early Childhood (Little Jags–Kindergarten) will host their culmination morning on May 20 at 8:30 a.m.
- Lower School (Grades 1–4) will host their culmination morning on May 22 from 8–8:30 a.m.
As spring continues to make its way onto campus, I hope your family has time during Spring Break to enjoy some of your own signs of the season, whether that is warmer weather, time outdoors, or simply a slower pace together.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to campus on April 6 and beginning the final stretch of the school year together. Enjoy the break!
Shelley Brown
Head of Early Childhood and Lower School
Assistant Head of School for Academics