AMS South Mountain May and June Newsletter

Newsletter | May and June 2023

Dear Mamba Families,

We want to stress the importance of attendance as many catch "spring fever" this time of year, and it is VERY important that we stay the course of learning as we close out the school year. 4th quarter includes many projects and extra activities as we round out the 4th quarter, and celebrate our time together.

The second week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers work so hard for our children every day – The week of May 8th-12th is our chance to show them how much we appreciate them and say “thank you.” We would love for you to join in any, or all, of our Teacher Appreciation Week events as a way of showing your thanks to the teachers who are working hard to positively impact your child. Choose a day or two to show our teachers that they are loved and appreciated!

Teacher Appreciation Week Events

Monday-May 8th: In Full Bloom-Have your child bring in a flower (bought, picked, fake, or hand-drawn).

Tuesday-May 9th: Give Thanks-Students, parents, or both, can write a note, a thank you card, or draw a picture to give to their teacher first thing in the morning – start their day off right!

Wednesday-May 10th: An Apple a Day-Have your child bring in a piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, etc.) to put on the teacher’s desk first thing in the morning.

Thursday-May 11th: Sweet Treat-Treat your teacher to their favorite snack, homemade treat, beverage, or candy.

Friday-May 12th: Donate a Book-Finish Teacher Appreciation Week right by donating a book to their classroom library. Don’t forget to include a dedication.

All of the ideas listed above are option suggestions. Please feel free to show your appreciation in other ways. If you have any questions or want to volunteer, please contact Principal Hewson at khewson@amssouthmountain.org

Be sure to read this entire newsletter as we included important updates and South Mountain happenings and we want you to BE IN THE KNOW! Important dates are displayed at the bottom.

PS~ We have a new website: https://southmountain.amsschools.org/

#MambasRise

Thank you for choosing South Mountain,

Katlin Hewson (she/her)

Principal

Academy of Math & Science | South Mountain

1445 W Baseline Rd, Phoenix, AZ. 85041

O: (602)675-9696 ext. 11812

www.amsschools.org

Uniforms

Just a reminder that uniforms are REQUIRED EVERY DAY! On Fridays, scholars are welcome to dress down for a $1.00 donation. All dress down funds are used to support field trips.

Academic Updates

Hello Mamba Families,

Understanding Your Student’s Diagnostic Results

What is the Diagnostic?

The Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions for each student. As a student answers correctly, the questions get more difficult. As a student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. This adaptability allows the Diagnostic to identify the strengths and opportunities for growth of each student.

Why is my student taking it?

The purpose of the Diagnostic is not to give your student a grade, but instead to determine how best to support their learning. It will help your student’s teacher(s) determine their needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the year.

What if my student is performing below grade level?

This situation can happen, and teachers and schools have many strategies and programs to help accelerate your student’s learning. Having this information can help you, your student, and their teachers have the right conversations to make the needed progress.

What does it mean if my student scored lower on the second Diagnostic than the first?

A lower score does not mean your student did not learn or lost skills. Scores can be affected by things like stress, distraction, taking the Diagnostic in a different place, and receiving help. This can be particularly common when students are learning in different environments and under unique circumstances. Teachers take this into account and use the data from the Diagnostic as one of many tools to understand your student’s unique needs and progress.

What can I do to help my student?

• Discuss these results with your student. Celebrate their strengths and progress, and collaborate with them on planning how they will reach their goals.

• Reach out to your student’s teacher to get more ideas and resources to support your student in specific domains and/or skills.

• If your student uses i-Ready Personalized Instruction, review their progress on the student dashboard.

We use this data to support your scholar for the remainder of this year and going into next year.

Thank you for all your support and commitment to finishing strong.

Head of Operations

Hello Mamba Families!

With the end of the school year is quickly approaching, please keep in mind that our driveline policies still have to be followed! During drop off, scholars can only be dropped off in the driveline. Please do not drop your child off at the front office. We want to ensure scholar safety and have ample supervision in the back at driveline but no one in our parking lot so please make sure scholars are always being dropped off in the driveline!

Our parking lot is closed during dismissal in order to keep our walking scholars safe as they make their way home. Please remember that the only way to pick up your scholar at dismissal is through the driveline or parent gate if you walk to campus. There is no parking in our lot during this time. Please make sure you are always following the posted signs in our parking lot-let's keep our scholars and staff safe!

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AMS South Mountain Data

In an effort to be transparent about our school's priorities, we are posting the following data to ensure that our Mamba Families are aware of the state of affairs at South Mountain. You can find this data in our front lobby, as well as in our monthly newsletters.

Student Enrollment: How many scholars are currently enrolled at South Mountain.

Average Daily Attendance: The average percentage of scholars who attend school on a daily basis.

Student Persistence: The percentage of scholars who have stayed with South Mountain since the beginning of the school year.

Staff Retention: The percentage of teachers and staff who have stayed with South Mountain since the beginning of the school year.

i-Ready Data: The average annual growth for a scholar at this grade and baseline placement level.

Here is AMS South Mountain's up-to-date data.