Midyear message 2016-2017
Greeting Farias Students and Families,
It is hard to believe that Easter has recently passed by. It seems it was just the other day that we began the school year. Time does fly by, yet we have much more learning to do.
I am so excited that we have had the opportunity to engage more students in small group instruction this year. Data shows that children benefit from smaller teacher to student ratios, and we've worked very hard to make this happen at Farias Elementary. We have students of all grades reaping the rewards of small group instruction in Reading. Kinder, First and Second grade students are getting small group instruction from their classroom teachers and class size reduction teacher. The students are also taking part in rotations where they learn Reading, phonics, and Writing skills-just to name a few of the great small groups we have running! Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade students are getting support in Reading and Math with small group settings.
Recently, Farias Early Childhood is lucky to be the recipient of some additional technology through a state grant. We acquired iPads for all of the Pre-Kinder classrooms filled with educational applications. Students utilize these devices to practice Reading, Writing, and Math skills.
As May gets closer, teachers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades are preparing the students to take the STAAR test. We will pick up tutorial again on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. starting April 25th thru April 27th, and May 2nd thru May 4th. Remember that our STAAR test will be held on May 8th for Mathematics, May 9th for Reading and May 10th for Science.
In addition to STAAR, the month of April and May are full of activities that will allow you to visit our campus. The Week of the Young Child will be held on April 24 thru April 28, 2017.
This year, our awards ceremonies and Kinder graduation will take place May 25th and May 26th, respectively. We hope to see all of you at these events.
Finally, I want to thank you for being a part of what we do here at school. Without parental involvement and support, it would be almost impossible to accomplish our work at Farias Elementary. Please note I welcome all comments, feedback, and questions.
Respectfully,
San Juana Garza, Principal