Dear Secondary School Families:
Happy Friday! Thank you to everyone who joined with our staff in support of “Purple Day” today. Spring recess is quickly approaching in another week. The first day of fishing season is also going to be here soon! From my conversations with students some of our students are also very excited about this. I am looking forward to eventually finding some time to hook some brown, brook, and rainbows! I want to provide you with the most up to date information we have about 3-8 assessments at the elementary and middle schools and Regents exams at the high school. The New State Department of Education submitted a waiver request to the US Department of Education which would have allowed them to cancel all Regents and 3-8 assessments (as was done last year); however, schools are being informed that the waiver may not be approved this time around. With April fast approaching, the Secondary school is planning for administration of assessments in grades 6, 7, & 8 and June Regents exams. Here are the details:
3-8 Assessments: The state has shortened the length of all 3-8 assessments down to one day each (ELA, math, and science). The second day of the ELA and math is optional this year. Therefore, the Secondary School will not be administering part II - we want to encourage students not to stress and do their best on part I which will take between 80 and 90 minutes to complete. The results will be used as an additional opportunity to learn about your child’s academic progress through the pandemic. The data will also help us to allocate any future resources provided by the state to students most in need due to “loss of learning.”
June Regents: Algebra I, ELA, Living Environment, and Earth Science are the only four Regents that we still must administer in June. All other Regents have been cancelled including those in August. Students are exempted from passing the exams in order to graduate (as long as they earn credit in their coursework). Fully remote students will be offered the same opportunity as in-person students to come into the building and take any Regents or 3-8 assessment offered. The full (tentative) schedule spring 2021:
3-8 Assessments
ELA | Math | Science | |
Grades 6-8 | Wed.April 21 (RED Cohort Day) | Thurs. May 6 (Red Cohort Day) | Wed. June 2 (Red Cohort Day) |
June Regents
ELA | Living Environment | Algebra I | Earth Science |
Thurs. June 17 @ 9:15 am | Tues. June 22 @ 9:15 am | Wed. June 23 @ 9:15 am | Thurs. June 24 @ 9:15 am |
Cohort Calendar: Please see the attached quarter 4 cohort calendar. Quarter 4 begins on Monday, April 12 and concludes on Tuesday, June 15. This calendar is based upon current DOH/NYSED health and safety guidance. Once again, we will also be mailing a color copy of the calendar home to your reference.
https://docs.google.com/docume...
March 31 - Alumni Panel/PAC: Our much anticipated Alumni Panel Presentation is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, March 31 from 8:10am - 9:10am. Here is the link for 11th and 12th grade fully remote students to participate: meet.google.com/ktw-vvpe-fxi
Here is the full bell schedule for March 31:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1skfFMIa35XS8b2G8fvMUzMq3OufWOS2c0wDnNMgPJQ4/edit?usp=sharing
*All White and Red Cohort students will have a break from virtual learning during the assembly.
Classroom Spotlight: This week I had the pleasure of visiting Ms. Danckwerth’s English 11 classroom. Students are learning about Shakespeare and The Tragedy of Macbeth. Ms. Danckwerth jazzed things up a bit with some role playing fun to help bring the story alive!
Erin’s Law Presentation: In 2019, NY State became the 37th state to adopt Erin’s Law into legislation. This week our middle school students had a guest presenter from St. Peter’s Healthcare Partners speak with them about personal safety. This presentation is part of Erin’s Law - a New York State requirement for school to make K-8 students aware of personal safety and what to do if they feel unsafe. We want to encourage parents to have open dialogue with your child on this topic. Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you have any questions.
Yearbooks: Time is running out! The staff is working hard to make The 2021 Tamarac High School yearbook as unique as this school year. For the first time the yearbook will cover the full school year! Order your copy for $63 (plus tax). The deadline for ordering is April 16.
http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A05396450
Free Tutoring: A reminder that RPI students are offering free “virtual” tutoring every Saturday until May 1 for all Brunswick students.. This is a tremendous opportunity to consider if your child is behind and needs additional support.
Health/Wellness: **IMPORTANT** Please be sure to complete the daily screening survey before sending your child to school each morning. Your child should be kept home if they are experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID. If your child’s symptoms are improving AND they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine, they may return to school with a note from their doctor with an alternate diagnosis clearing them to return to school OR a copy of their negative COVID test result. We appreciate your help in keeping our school safe for everyone!
Weekly Calendar:
Monday 3/29 = RED Day Tuesday 3/30 = WHITE Day Wednesday 3/31 = BLUE Day
Thursday 4/1 RED Day Friday 4/2 WHITE Day
Be safe and have a great weekend! #TamaracStrong
Sincerely,
Ken Rizzo
Principal, Tamarac Secondary School