News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Thursday, 12/13  Spelling Pre-Bee, gr 3-5, 7:20 a.m.; SDMC 3:30 pm; 3rd gr Holiday Program, 6:30 pm
Friday, 12/14  NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30; Faculty Caroling, 6:00-7:00 (check the Roberts website for listed trolley stops)
Monday, 12/17  3rd Gr Field Trip
Tuesday, 12/18  Community Exhibition 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, 12/19  School Exhibition
Friday, 12/21  Classroom Parties


Enrollment and Residency

Many times families move during a school year and are interested in staying at Roberts. The only way to stay at Roberts if you have moved out of the school attendance zone is to apply for a magnet transfer.  The deadline to do that is January 11th.  No applications received after January 11th will be reviewed.

The question that often arises during enrollment relates to residency.  Residency is what qualifies you as an “in-zone” student.  So, what is residency?  Generally it is referred to as where you live and sleep every night, but there are more detailed and specific criteria. 

1. Does the parent/guardian who establishes residency own, rent or lease a home, condominium, apartment or living quarters within the attendance zone?

2. Does the family have furniture and personal effects in the attendance zone with no furniture or personal effects at a previous residence?

3. Does the parent/guardian receive personal mail in the attendance zone?

4. Are the parents/guardians registered to vote in the attendance zone?

5. Does the parent/guardian regularly live in the attendance zone and plan to live there indefinitely?  Have all licensed drivers in the household complied with DPS regulations for changing address?

How Does Attendance Impact School Funding?

I know you hear me talk about attendance often.  Most importantly, I want children at school.  I don’t want any child to miss important instruction.  But, as the State continues to reduce school funding, I wanted to take a minute to offer a quick explanation of how attendance impacts budget. 

The state sets a per pupil funding amount.  School funding is determined by multiplying the number of students by the average daily attendance, and the product is multiplied by the per pupil allocation.  Simply, we only get 96% of the funding we are entitled to, if we only have 96% in average daily attendance. 

So how much is each percentage point of average daily attendance worth?  One percentage point of the per pupil allocation is worth $26,137.    Everyday counts in keeping every dollar we are due.

I ask you to partner with me in ensuring we get every dollar possible to provide your children with the educational programs they deserve.

1% = $26,137

iStation: Reading Intervention

You will hear more about iStation as we finish the implementation process for this online intervention and assessment system in January.  In August, the Reading Department proposed we adopt iStation to support our work with struggling readers in grades 3-9.  Just after the Board voted to purchase the system, the State adopted it for all public schools in the State of Texas to use.  Initially, the District proposal was for use as an assessment and monitoring system only, but with the State adoption there is a requirement for use of the intervention curriculum for students identified as being slightly below level or significantly below level in reading. 

We have fully implemented the assessment component of the system and are in our 3rd month of assessment.  Students in grades 3-5 complete one 30-minute online assessment each month during Academic Skills Lab (ASL).  The system provides teachers and administration with specific information on a students performance in each of the four areas of reading: comprehension, word analysis, fluency and vocabulary.

Our next step is to schedule time for students who are struggling in one or more areas of reading to work in the online intervention system each week.  This will serve as a secondary intervention system, with small group reading instruction in the classroom or through the reading lab as the primary intervention plan.


Spotlight on IB:
Roles in the Exhibition

Role of Parent/Guardian and Community Members

Parents/Guardians and Community members will:

• have an understanding of the purpose and requirements of the exhibition
• support and encourage students and teachers throughout the process of inquiry
• help students to access resources--people, places, media and information
• provide expert subject knowledge where applicable
• encourage independent inquiry and respect ownership of the process
• support students' action efforts
• have an opportunity to reflect on and give feedback on the exhibition
• celebrate with the students by attending the staging of the exhibition