Hello Stanley Families-

A couple of reminders for next week-

Next week Stanley Middle School will be administering the Smarter Balanced Pilot Assessments, a test that will replace the STAR tests in 2014-2015.   Beginning May 13th, we will be administering a 6th grade assessment in math and a 7th grade assessment in language arts.  There will be some significant differences in this testing compared to the old format, including that all assessments are computer based.  Additionally, many of the items on the assessment call for short answers, performance tasks,  and ask students to think more deeply about text  they read. Each test should take students about 2-3 class periods and will be administered in their CORE class.  Stanley’s bell  schedule will go on  as usual.  There are no “scores” for this test,  and we will get no results from how students performed.  We want our staff and students to have a chance to see what some of these assessments are like as we continue to work towards implementing Common Core.  Thanks to our students, staff and you for helping Stanley understand the challenges and opportunities that this new assessment presents!

Due to the popularity of this event, we had to move it outside to accommodate the huge turnout.  So bring your picnic blanket and food to the Stanley field at 6:30 PM. The show will start at 7:00 PM and will feature dancers and singers representing the languages taught here at Stanley. Our students are practicing daily for the big show, and they look forward to entertaining you.  The program will end by about 8:00.

The Stanley World Languages Department:  Claudia Windfuhr, Katie Pitts, Launa Parnas, Susan Olson, and Lauchlin Divine

On Friday, May 3rd, our 6th and 7th graders were treated to an assembly on Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying. For the last 8 years, Stanley has invited Officer Steve De Warns to educate our students about being responsible citizens on line. Your students will hear from him at least two times while they are at Stanley Middle School. He also spends quite a bit of time talking to students about how to update their privacy settings on all of their devices and social networks to help them share info only with their personal face to face friends.  To view the slides from the power point presentation that the students received as well as “Tips for Parents” and ”Tips for Securing your Privacy Settings”, go to the Stanley Counseling Department Webpage on the Stanley Middle School Website and look in the “Locker”.

For more information including related family discussion questions, please visit our counseling department website at http://sms-lafsd-ca.schoolloop.com/counseling

Calling all 6th Grade parents!  The annual end-of-year 6th Grade picnic is the afternoon of June 4th at Stanley.  This is a really fun event on campus filled with indoor and outdoor games, activities and of course a delicious picnic.  To make the event a success we are looking for parent volunteers to help our 6th Graders celebrate the end of a fantastic year.

If you are interested in helping please sign up using this link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C054EA5A82B0-june/2870081.  Please email Melissa Karr at melissa_karr@hotmail.com with any questions.

Thanks, and hope you can join us!

Local legislators and superintendents were in agreement at last week's PTA Advocacy Day that California needs to reform education financing. Here are just some of the facts which are causing them so much concern:

1.  California ranks 40th in the nation (we spend $9,524 per student, compared to $15,783 in Massachusetts, for instance) for educational funding.  Before the passage of Proposition 13, which limited property taxes, California was one of the top 10 states in the nation in the amount we were willing to spend to educate our children.   

2.  California educates 6.2 million students in over one thousand different districts, ranging in size from 670,000 students to just three.  

3.  1.3 million of California's students are English Language Learners (ELL), and this year, 38% of the children starting kindergarten are ELL! 

4.  Not only is California the most populous state in the nation and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse, but over half of California's students come from low income families, and 1 in 5 do not have a parent who graduated from high school.  

Get extra help in Math (any level) at these locations!

After School (3 - 4 PM)

There has been some issues with students riding the school bus with One Trip Passes ($3.00 orange passes). This is a liability for Lamorinda Bus, for students and for the schools and districts. Each bus pass is suppose to be filled out, signed and dated by a parent. This rule is written on the back side of each bus pass. Drivers have been instructed not to transport students with blank bus passes. If you wish your child to purchase a same day bus pass please send a note with your child to the office giving your permission for them to do so along with the following information: date, name, address, grade, emergency phone#, bus stop, school and route and parent signature. If you have any questions, please contact Lamorinda Bus at 299-3216.