Breaking into Spring!

Welcome back from Spring Break.  I want to first and foremost thank PHEEF's Gala Committee for putting on an amazing event.  Fun was had by all, while much needed funds were raised for our school.  THANK YOU!!

Instrumental Music Program

I recently had the pleasure of listening to our orchestral students at our feeder pattern's music festival.  Mr. Yearsley has done an amazing job teaching our PHE students not just to play, but to love music.  I've attached a video sample of the combined elementary school orchestras (Pleasant Hill, Strandwood, Sequoia, Valhalla, Hidden Valley, and Gregory Gardens) for your viewing pleasure.  If you've never been, I encourage you to check out College Park's Area Music Festival next year.

Elementary Orchestra Video

Check Out Twitter

 

If you want to see in-the-moment classroom action, remember to view our Twitter feed which is displayed on our website.  You'll be able to stay updated on our journey into 21st Century Learning.  I've seen many sessions of Reader's Workshop around our school over the past several weeks.  Two of our fifth grade classes are also in the final stages of their robotics module.  It has been wonderful to capture some of this project-based learning in person.

Assessments are Coming!
The testing window for the California state end of year assessments is rapidly approaching.  PHE students in grades 3 through 5 will be taking the CAASPP test during a two-week window beginning May 1st.  During this time, the new California Science Test (CAST) will be piloted by all fifth graders.  The California Department of Education is now reporting district, school, and student demographic progress via the recently released California State Dashboard.  This new accountability system provides information (currently updated to reflect up to the 2015-2016 school year) about how we are meeting the needs of our diverse student population.

Please view the parent resources listed below to learn more about these high-stakes tests:
CAASPP Parent Resources
CAST Parent Letter
MDUSD California Dashboard News Release
California Dashboard Website

Upcoming Events:

• Autism Awareness Week 4/17
• Principal’s Coffee 4/18
• ELAC 4/20
• Spell-a-thon 4/21
• Pancake Breakfast 5/7