HORNER JUNIOR HIGH
HOME OF THE HORNETS
January/February 2015
Julie Forbes, Principal
jforbes@fremont.k12.ca.us
Anne Renoir, Vice Principal
arenoir@fremont.k12.ca.us
Dayna Lai, Counselor
dlai@fremont.k12.ca.us
Sarah Nahigian, Counselor
snahigian@k12.ca.us
Leilani Velasquez, Counselor
lvelasquez@k12.ca.us
************************************************************************
Principal’s Message
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Dear Parents and Guardians:
Happy New Year! I hope everyone is healthy and well rested from winter
break. January 23rd marks the end of our 1st semester. Please continue
to check in with your student regarding his/her grades and how things
are going in their classes. School Loop is a great tool for monitoring your
student’s progress and I recommend that all families take advantage of
this great tool. If you have any concerns regarding your student’s
progress, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s counselor
and teachers.
Please continue to enjoy the winter months!
Sincerely,
Julie Forbes
Principal, Horner Junior High
jforbes@fremont.k12.ca.us
1
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
VICE PRINCIPALS MESSAGE
In the last week of January, I will be visiting the 7th and 8th grade PE
classes to review student expectations and to answer any questions about
school procedures and policies. The focus for eighth grade classes will also
be on the eligibility requirements for the end of the year activities. These
activities include the Great America Award Trip, Promotion and Promotion
Dance. You can review the 8th grade activity disqualifications on page 6 of
the student handbook which can be found in the student agenda and on our
website.
Ms. Renoir,
Assistant Principal, Horner Junior High
(510) 656-4000 ext. 48110
JANUARY CALENDAR
01/05
----------
Back To School
01/08
11/10-11
2:45 – 5:30
Away game vs. Hopkins
01/13
2:45 – 5:30
Home game vs. Newark
01/15
2:45 – 5:30
Home game vs. Centerville
01/19
NO SCHOOL
Martin Luther King Holiday
01/20
2:45 – 5:30
Away game vs. Thornton
01/22
2:45 – 5:30
Away game vs. Walters
01/23
----------
End of Second Quarter
01/23
----------
End of First Semester
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
FEBRUARY CALENDAR
02/02
2:30–3:30 MUR
Talent Show Rehearsal
02/04
11/10-11
02/05
02/10
02/10
7:00pm-Rm14
2:30–3:30 MUR
2:30 – 4:00
2:45 - 5:30
PTSA Meeting
Talent Show Rehearsal
Talent Show Dress Rehearsal
Home game vs. Newark
02/11
02/11
02/12
02/13
02/16
02/17
02/19
02/24
02/26
--------6:00p-8:00p
2:45 – 5:30
8:15 – 12:59
NO SCHOOL
2:45 – 5:30
2:45 – 5:30
2:45 – 5:30
2:45 – 5:30
Talent Show Assembly
Talent Show Evening Perform.
Away game vs. Centerville
Minimum Day
President’s Day Holiday
Home game vs. Thornton
Home game vs. Walters
Away game vs. Hopkins
Away game vs. Newark
02/27
5:30p – 7:30p
Social*
*Date changed
MINIMUM DAYS FOR
2015
Schedule 8:15 – 12:59
FEB 13
APRIL 2
JUNE 8, 9, 10, 11
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS
MAR. TBA
CST (7th grade)
MAR. TBA
District Writing Assessment (8th grade)
MAR. TBA
CST/District Writing Assessment Make-ups
MAR. 18
MAR. 31
Open
wri House: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
End of 3rd Quarter
APR. 1
PTSA Meeting: 7pm – Room 14
APR. 2
Minimum Day 8:15 – 12:59
APR. 3
Staff Develop. Day: No School
APR. 6-10
APR. 24
Spring Break – No School
Social, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
APR. TBA
Spring Pictures
MAY TBA
Star Testing Window – make up days
MAY 8-10
Band and Choir Disneyland Trip
MAY TBA
Panoramic Pictures (8th Grade)
MAY 19
Spring Concert, Choir
MAY 20
Spring Concert, Band
May 21
Assembly
MAY 25
Memorial Day Holiday – No School
MAY 29
Great America Reward Trip
JUNE 2
8th Grade Awards Night: 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Gym
JUNE 3
PTSA Meeting – Room 14, 7:00pm
JUNE 5
8th Grade Promotion Party – 6pm – 9pm
JUNE 8-11 Minimum Day: 8:15 – 12:59
JUNE 10
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony – 5pm – 6pm
JUNE 11
Last Day of School; End of 4th Quarter
JUNE 12
Teacher Work Day
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
ANNOUCEMENTS & REMINDERS
DRESS CODE REMINDER – T-shirts conveying messages relating to the use of
tobacco, alcohol, drugs or with derogatory or inflammatory language are never
acceptable as clothing on campus. Parents please make sure that your
daughter/son doesn’t wear this type of clothing to school. Please refer to
Horner’s dress code policy in the Homework Assignment Book.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL REMINDER – If your student is required to
take medication during school hours, a doctor’s signed form must be on
file in our office. These “Hold Harmless” forms are available in our office.
This applies to prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter
medications such as aspirin, Tylenol, decongestants, bronchial
mists, etc. Medications must be kept in the office unless appropriate forms are
on file.
SEMESTER 2 SCHEDULES – Second semester/3rd Quarter begins on January
26, 2015. Semester 2 student schedules will be distributed on Friday,
January 23rd in 6th period classes.
SECOND SEMESTER BUS PASSES: Second semester bus passes
are available for purchase in January. Order forms can be picked
up at the Transportation Dept, 43770 Grimmer Blvd., 510-6571450, or through your bus driver. Please call Transportation for
updated pass fees.
EARLY ARRIVALS – Supervision of students on campus in the morning does
not begin until 7:45 AM. Students should not arrive at school before 7:45 AM in
the morning. Upon arrival at school, students should immediately proceed to
the blacktop.
FORGOTTEN ITEMS – This is a reminder that Horner enforces a “No
Classroom Interruption” policy. If you have forgotten ANYTHING including
lunches, books, homework, PE clothes, etc., PLEASE come to the office to check
the “Blue Cart” provided specifically for “Forgotten items”. You are encouraged
to check the office whether or not you have made arrangements to have
forgotten items dropped off. Any bagged lunches not claimed, will be
disposed of at the end of the day and all lunch boxes will be placed in the Lost
and Found.
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
HEALTHY CHILDREN LEARN BETTER! An increasing number of
our students have severe food allergies, especially nuts, peanuts,
tree nuts, milk and eggs. When exposed to these allergens,
especially by eating them, but sometimes just by touching them or
their oils, or breathing their fumes, these students may break into
hives, or even have their airway swell up and they COULD STOP
BREATHING! A few ways to keep our students safe are:
 Talk to your children about not sharing their food at lunch ect.
 If you bring or send food to school for parties, etc, please do not send food
that has any nuts or nut products.
 All food brought to school for class events must be prepackaged and must
include the nutritional label.
 NO HOMEMADE FOOD!
Please notify our school nurse and the office staff if your child has or develops
such allergies. Thank you for helping us keep the Horner students healthy.
DELIVERIES TO SCHOOL – Horner Junior High will not accept
delivery of balloons/flowers, etc. at school. Students are also not
allowed to bring balloons/flowers, etc. to school with them. In the
past, these deliveries had to be left in the office until after school,
but we simply do not have the room to store them. Please help us
by reminding your students not to bring flowers/balloons to school. Thank you
for your assistance.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE – Missing school is a major cause of academic
difficulties. When a student has 6 periods, and misses just one it’s easy to fall
behind. Missing 2-3 days a month makes getting good grades extremely
difficult.
Every absence should be considered in light of its impact on school. In no case
is keeping a student home to babysit a legal absence. Legal absence is limited
to illness, medical and dental appointments and death in family (Please call
every day your child is sick). If your child is going to be absent, please report it
to our attendance clerk, Ms. Salena Yung.
PARKING LOT – Reminder, Hopkins Junior High parents are NOT
allowed to park in the Hirsch Staff Parking Lot. Students should be dropped off
in the side parking lot located on Irvington.
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
HORNER’S WEB SITE: www.fmtusd.org/horner ---- Please be reminded
you may obtain school and class information on our school wide web site. You
may also send comments to the principal and teachers through the site. We
hope you will find this avenue of communication helpful and beneficial to you
and your students.
VOICEMAIL FOR STAFF— If you would like to leave a message for a staff
member at Horner, contact the school at 656-4000 and enter the appropriate
extension number from the list below:
Mrs. Forbes, Principal
Mrs. Renoir, VP
Mrs. Erickson, Secretary
Mrs. Lai, Counselor
Ms. Nahigian, Counselor
ARCA
BENJAMIN
CAINE
FERRY
JACOBSON
LEE
LOERA
McCLURE
MUGFORD
PADRON
RACKAGES
SCHMEEL
SNOW
TRUBEY, J
WARNERT
48038
48041
48034
48020
48445
48011
48032
48021
48006
48013
48344
48018
48026
48008
48036
48109
48110
48106
48112
48212
Ms. Velasquez, Counselor
Mrs. Flores, Registrar
Ms. Yung, Attendance
Mrs. Mackie, Clerk
BAUMGARTNER
BIRBECK
CHIU
FICKES
KENDALL
LENOARD
LORIGAN
MONK
NATHAN
PAPA, C
RAMIREZ
SEREMETA
SONG
TRUBEY, T
WOU
48033
48002
48010
48031
48544
48018
48050
48005
48007
48028
48030
48040
48037
48545
48035
BEDI
BURKE
ESLAMI
HUANG
LAU
LOCKE
MAZERLEV
MUEHLING
OJEDA
PAPA, R
RUZICKA
SHAFFER
STRONG
VAN HORN
48251
48103
48101
48111
48022
48025
48250
48017
48023
48009
48027
48001
48024
48016
48042
48004
48444
48039
MARCH IS PRE-REGISTRATION MONTH: In March, all students will need to
show proof of residence for Fremont Unified School District per Board policy.
Two proofs of residency are required. Please make a copy of your February or
March PG&E bill plus 2nd bill to submit with the registration paperwork for each
of your students. THE SCHOOL OFFICE CANNOT MAKE COPIES FOR YOU.
If you have a Declaration of Residence, you must attach a copy of the
Declaration AND a copy of 2 monthly bills that show your current address.
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
HAPPENINGS AT HORNER
FEBRUARY SOCIAL: Our next social is February 27, 2015!!
Socials are highlights of the Horner Junior High social calendar.
ASB and PTSA work hard to provide a fun filled evening with a DJ,
games, decorations and refreshments. To have a great time it is
essential that we adhere to the following rules:
1. Students must have both their student ID and Social Ticket
(signed by their parent) to get into the Social.
i. An ID is given to each student at the beginning of the year. If
the ID is lost it much be replaced. ASB makes replacements
for $2. Don’t delay having one made. The week before a
Social is always busy.
ii. Social tickets are sold in Room 4 during lunch the week of
the Social. An ID is required to purchase a ticket.
iii. SOCIAL TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AFTER SCHOOL OR
AT THE DOOR!! NO EXCEPTIONS.
Students will be disqualified (not allowed to participate) from the socials for the
reasons cited below:
1. Absence the day of the activity.
2. Overdue library books and/or unpaid fines.
3. Five (5) hours of detention assigned.
4. Any In-house or at home suspension.
5. Kicked out of the last social.
6. Truancy
7. 15 or more tardies, cumulative (any period)
Socials begin at 5:30 pm and end at 7:30 pm. NO STUDENT WILL BE
ADMITTED AFTER 6:00 PM, no exceptions. No student may leave before 7:30
pm. STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
SOCIAL. STUDENTS STILL AT SCHOOL PAST 7:45 PM MAY LOSE THEIR
CHANCE TO ATTEND THE NEXT SOCIAL. Remember, cell phone use is
prohibited at socials, no pictures, to texting, no calls.
Parents, we hope this addresses any questions you may have concerning our
Socials. We certainly appreciate the wonderful support you give us by being
chaperones and serving refreshments. We couldn’t manage without you! If you
would like to volunteer to “join the fun,” please leave a message for the PTSA
officers.
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
10TH ANNUAL TALENT SHOW – Dust off your dancing shoes! On
February 11th at 6:00pm in the multi-purpose room, ASB, with the
assistance of the Music Department, will be hosting our 10th Annual
Talent Show! Our audition dates are January 14 (for anyone not
performing music) and 21 (for musicians), so get your talent ready!! ASB will be
asking for a $5.00 donation at the door to benefit the Horner Math Department.
Come try out in January, and put the performance on your calendar so you can
enjoy and celebrate our multi-talented students in February!!
CALIFORNIA MUSIC EDUCATIORS ASSOCIATION – On Saturday, January 10,
nine students from Horner Junior High will perform at the California Music
Educators Association (C.M.E.A.) annual Winter Conference. Each year, the
best singers and instrumentalists from over 70 Bay Area schools are selected to
perform with the conference honor choir, band, and orchestra. This year Lily
Son, Ami Shalabh, Kimberley Mae Sanchez, Sua Choi, and Anton Lumactud will
perform with the choir; Katie Lee and Roselene Chen with the band; Raymond
Zhao and Elaine Chan with the orchestra.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE LIBRARY- THE BOOK FAIR IS COMING!!! It
will be held in the library from March 16th - 20th.
I will need parents to help before school (7:45am to 8:15am), when
classes visit and during lunch (11:40am to 12:20pm). Please check the PTSA
website for sign up opportunities. Scholastic Easy Scan cash register experience
is very much appreciated.
I will also need student helpers before and after school and at lunch; there will be
a meeting to sign up for different jobs at the end of February.
As always, donations of age appropriate books and tissue supplies are much
appreciated.
Thank you…
Catherine McConnell, Ext. 48012
FALL CHARITY DRIVES - We had great participation at Horner in our Canned
Food Drive and Pennies for Patients!
In the Canned Food Drive, Ms. Burke’s class took 1st place with Mr. Van Horn’s
class in 2nd and Mrs. Warnert’s class in 3rd place. In all, the school collected a
total of 1169 cans!!
In our Pennies for Patients drive we raised a total of $3145.72 with Ms. Bedi’s
class in first, Ms. Chiu’s class in second and Mrs. Trubey’s class in third place.
Thank you to all who participated in making the drives a success!!
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
PARENTS OF EL STUDENTS - We will have our second English Language
Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting, and discuss our students’ academic
performance in first semester, CELDT scores, after school intervention, and
reclassification criteria. We will also answer your questions and hear your
thoughts about Horner’s English Language Learner Program.
Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 in the school
library at 2:45 p.m. We hope you are able to attend. We will provide translation
services in Mandarin and Spanish. Please contact the school office if you need
translation services for other languages.
Please feel free to call our English Language Liaison,
Ms. Seung Song, 510-656-4000 (ext. 48037)
HORNER DEBATE TEAM – We had a great tournament in San Hose this year!
All teams won at least one round and six students took home speaker awards.
11th –Sara K, 10th – Isha B, 7th – Priyanka S, 5th – Aditi V, 3rd –
Reetam G, and taking home the first place gavel – Isha S!!
Team results were also excellent, with team SKV (Pryanka S, Sara K,
Aditi V) placing 3rd and team GBK (Isha S, Manjari G, Reetam G) placing 1st!
Many thanks to the Irvington Mentors who also attended and to the team
members who showed up to cheer us on!!
CLOSED CAMPUS
The Board of Education has established a policy (514.5) of closed campuses for
the junior high schools. Students are to come directly to school from
home and may not leave until their last class is over. Students
cannot leave campus for lunch unless their parent picks them up.
Students arriving by bus or being dropped at the school in the
morning must remain on campus. If your child has a medical
appointment or some other need that requires he/she leave campus during the
day, you must provide a written note indicating the time the student is to be
released and indicate if the student will be picked up by someone other than
yourself or if the student is walking from school on his/her own. This note must
be turned into the office before 8:05am. Your child then must follow offgrounds procedures. Also, there are no student guests or visitors allowed on
campus.
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
NAEP 2015 PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER
Grades 4, 8, and 12: Mathematics, reading, and science technology-based pilot assessments
January 5, 2015
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are pleased to notify you that Horner Junior High School has been selected to represent schools across
the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). First administered
in 1969, NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know
and can do in various subject areas. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics,
within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from state assessments because it provides a
common measure of student achievement across the country. The results of NAEP are released as The
Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents,
policymakers, and the public.
In our school, the NAEP assessment will be given on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. Your child may be
selected to take a mathematics, reading, or science pilot assessment on a tablet. In addition to answering
questions in one of these subjects, students will be asked questions about themselves and their
educational experiences, such as the amount of reading they do and the types of classes they take. These
questions provide contextual information for the assessment, as well as information that may be related
to students’ learning. If you would like to view sample subject area and contextual questions, please visit
http://nationsreportcard.gov/parents.asp.
It will take about 120 minutes for most students to participate in the pilot assessment. The results are
completely confidential (in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V,
Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347), and the information provided will be used for statistical purposes only.
Your child’s grades will not be affected. Your child may be excused from participation for any reason, is
not required to complete the assessment, and may skip any question. While NAEP is voluntary, we depend
on student participation to provide an accurate measure of student achievement that will inform
improvements in education. Your child will represent many other students, so participation is very
important. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify me in writing by
Wednesday, January 14, 2015.
There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP. We do ask, however, that you encourage your child to
do their best and get plenty of rest the night before the assessment. A brochure that explains what
participation in NAEP means for you and your child is available at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/parents/2012469.pdf. Should you have questions, or if you
would like a copy of the brochure, please contact me at (510) 656-4000 or at jforbes@fremont.k12.ca.us.
We are excited that our school will be participating in NAEP and pleased that your child may be selected.
We know that Horner's students will help us show what our nation’s students know and can do.
Sincerely,
Julie Forbes
Principal
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
CLUBS AND EXTRA CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
Art Club:
Christian
Experience:
Debate:
FBLA:
Meets in room 20 and is open to any Horner Jr. High student
who is interested in the fine arts or crafts. Meetings will
happen once a month at lunch time, and dates will be
announced in the bulletin. Art classes need your empty
cardboard toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and wrapping paper
rolls! Please send them to room 20 at any time during the school year!
-Ms. Ferry
Ext. 48020
Meets in room 1 at lunch on Wednesdays. Students from all religions
are welcome.
-Mr. Muehling
Ext. 48001
Interest in the After School Debate Club was very high. There were many
student applicants. Our 36 club members will make up 12 teams who
will compete on site for the chance to go attend league tournaments. We
have set the bar high in terms of participation. Students must attend all
meetings, complete research on time, rehearse with each other, and stay
in contact via our online group. Parents and guardians are also
committed, as we need them to act as volunteer judges and league
hosts.
-Ms. Caine
Ext. 48034
Future Business Leaders of America Unite! The FBLA club meets
throughout the school year in room 7 during lunch. We do fundraisers,
learn about Profit and Loss and also go for Business Competitions.
Please listen in to upcoming announcements to find out when the next
meeting is.
-Ms. Nathan
Ext. 48007
Game Club:
Students interested in playing a game they know, learning a new game,
or teaching a game to others can bring one to share or play an available
game (Chess, Scrabble, and more) in Room 26 at lunch. We'll see you
every other Monday! Jan 21(Wed), Feb 2, Feb 17, Mar 2, Mar 16, Mar 30
-Ms. Snow
Ext. 48026
History
Club:
The history club meets weekly throughout the school year. Students
should listen to the announcements for upcoming meeting dates. We are
collecting Box Tops! You can drop your Box Tops off with your student’s
history teacher.
-Ms. Burke
Ext. 48025
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
Interact:
Math Club:
P.E. Club:
Recycling
Club:
Robotics
Club:
Running
Club:
Science
Club:
TED-Ed
Club:
We meet in Room 22 during lunch every 3rd Wednesday of the month.
This club is open to any Horner Jr. High student who is interested in
bringing a change to the community with their actions. We are part of
the Interact Club, Irvington High and the youth branch of Rotaract Club.
The dates for the meetings will be announced in the student bulletin and
via school loop. Thank you! For further information
-Mrs. Bedi
ext 48022
Math Club: Tryouts questions and answers are posted in School Loop
under Math Club page. Please visit Math Club page in school loop for
complete information on our Math Club. Math Club meets Tuesdays
from 2:30-4:30 in room 10.
-Ms. Chiu
Ext. 48010
Meets every day and works out at lunch running intramural sports and
handing out equipment. Students who volunteer and work this may
earn free “Go to Head of Lunch Line” passes.
-Mr. Strong
Ext.48444
Recycling club meets throughout the school year. Students should listen
for upcoming announcements in the bulletin to find out when the next
meeting is.
-Mrs. Ojeda
Ext. 48024
Information about Robotics club can be found on School Loop. If
there are any further questions on how the club is ran, please
contact the club advisor Ms. McClure.
-Ms. McClure
Ext.48021
Running Club meets throughout the school year on Mondays and
Thursdays afterschool from 2:30-3:30pm.
-Ms. Nahigian
Ext. 48212
This year we are featuring our National Science Bowl, which is a
nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge
across all areas of science. We will prepare via a fast paced
question-and-answer format equivalent to that of Jeopardy. Teams
are comprised of five students. Good Luck Hornets!
-Ms. Seremeta
Ext.48040
TED-Ed is a new club on campus where students will learn about the
popular Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) talks that are
readily available online. Students will discuss certain talks and learn
how to create TED-like presentations.
-Ms. NahigianExt.48212
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians:
January 2015
As you may have heard, the California Department o f Education (CDE) has ended the STAR (Standardized Testing and
Reporting) program and has replaced it with CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress). STAR
included the California Standards Tests (CSTs) as the primary assessment of student learning. From now on, CAASPP will use
the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) online assessments. Smarter Balanced is aligned to the
Common Core State Standards in literacy and mathematics and includes more rigorous content than the previous CSTs.
Through CAASPP, districts will be able to gain valuable information and monitor student progress to ensure that all students
master the new standards and are prepared for college and career opportunities beyond high school.
Last spring, many Fremont Unified students participated in the field test of the Smarter Balanced assessments. This allowed staff
and students a valuable experience to prepare for the technology requirements and academic content of the new system. This
year, the Smarter Balanced computer adaptive assessments will be required for all students in grades 3-8 and
11 in the areas of English language arts and Mathematics. There will also be a paper-based Science test required for students
in grades 5, 8, and 10, which was a part of the previous STAR program. We expect that in the future, the Science tests will
also be converted to a computer-based system aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Between May 4 and May 29, 2015, FUSD students will take the new Smatter Balanced assessments. It is important that
your child be present during his or her school's testing window. To learn about the types of questions on the computer-based
Smatter
Balanced assessments, you
and
your
child can view
the
practice
tests
online
at:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/practicetest.asp.
We anticipate that individual student reports will be sent home to families in August 2015, and will include an overall score
and a description of the student's achievement level in English language arts, Mathematics and Science. It is important to
note that these scores cannot be compared to scores that your child previously received on the CSTs in the STAR program
tests because:
• Smarter Balanced is based on the new Common Core State Standards
• Smarter Balanced involves very different types of test questions at higher difficulty levels
• Smatter Balanced results will not be reported using the former STAR program categories
• This year is considered a baseline for the new assessment format and content.
Because the Smarter Balanced assessments are more demanding than the previous California Standard Tests (CSTs) and they are
testing student knowledge and skills in different ways, we expect that overall proficiency scores for students, schools, districts,
and the state will not be as high. In fact, states where early pilots of scoring have taken place have found that student scores
on the Smarter Balanced assessments are much lower than on the previous state assessments. This does not mean that students
are any less proficient than they used to be. It simply means that we are holding our students to a higher standard of learning.
We expect that over time, the scores will increase as our students become more adept at the new learning challenges and
technology skills needed to be successful.
If you would like more information, please visit the Parent/Student tab of the CDE CAASPP web
page at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/. You may also visit our website at www.fremont.k l 2.ca.us for updates. We are committed
to keeping our parents informed about the new Common Core State Standards and the forthcoming Smarter Balanced
assessments.
Sincerely,
Kim Wallace, Ed.D
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
NEWSLETTER #4
Jan/Feb 2015
Estimados Padres de Familia/Tutores Legales:
enero de 2015
Como usted ya habra escuchado, el Departamento de Educacion de California (CDE por sus siglas en ingles) ha eliminado el
examen STAR (Examen y Reporte Estandarizado) y lo ha remplazado con el CAASPP (Evaluaci6n del Desempeno y
Progreso Estudiantil de California). El STAR incluia el Examen de los Estandares de California (CST), como Ia evaluacion
principal del aprendizaje de los estudiantes. De ahora en adelante, el CAASPP utilizara Ia Evaluacion Smarter Balanced (SBAC
por sus siglas en ingles) en Ia computadora. Esta evaluaci6n esta alineada con los Estandares Basicos Comunes del Estado en el
area de alfabetizaci6n y matematicas e incluye un contenido mas riguroso que en el CST. En el CAASPP, los distritos
podran obtener valiosa informacion y monitorear el progreso de los estudiantes para garantizar que dominan los estandares
nuevos y estan preparados para Ia universidad y las can·eras profesionales despues de Ia preparatoria.
En Ia primavera pasada, muchos estudiantes del Distrito Unificado de Fremont participaron en un ensayo de Ia evaluacion
Smarter Balanced. Esto permitio a personal y a los estudiantes experimentar y prepararse para Ia tecnologia y el contenido
academico del sistema nuevo. Este ano, la evaluacion del Smarter Balanced en Ia computadora sera obligatoria para todos los
estudiantes del 3 al 8 grado y del 11 grado en Lengua y Literatura en ingles y Matematicas. Tambien los estudiantes del
5, grado 10 grado tendran que tomar un examen escrito de ciencias, el cual formaba parte del STAR anterior. Esperamos que en
el futuro, el examen de ciencias alineado con los Estandares de Ciencias de Ia Proxima Generacion (NGSS por sus siglas en
ingles) tambien se haga en Ia computadora.
Del 4 al 29 de mayo de 2015, los estudiantes del FUSD tomaran Ia nueva evaluacion Smarter Balanced. Es importante que su
hijo(a) venga a l a escuela durante ese periodo. Para ver el tipo de preguntas que se hacen en la evaluacion Smarter Balanced,
usted y su hijo(a) pueden practicarlas en: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/practicetest.asp.
Despues de los examenes de mayo de 2015, se enviaran a casa los reportes de los estudiantes e incluira una calificaci6n global y
una descripci6n del nivel de aprovechamiento de los estudiantes en Lengua y Literatura en ingles, matematicas y ciencias. Es
importante hacer notar que este resultado no se puede comparar con el que su hijo(a) recibio anteriormente en el CST en los
examenes STAR porque:
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El Smarter Balanced se basa en los Estandares Basicos Comunes del Estado
El Smarter Balanced aborda preguntas muy diferentes, a un nivel mas dificil
Los resultados del Smarter Balanced no se reportaran usando las categorias del
STAR
Este ano se considera como la base para el formato y contenido de Ia evaluacion nueva.
Ya que la evaluacion Smarter Balanced es mas dificil que el Examen de Estandares de California (CST) y examina el
conocimiento y las destrezas de los estudiantes en forma diferente, esperamos que los resultados de los estudiantes, escuelas,
distritos y estado no sean muy altos. De hecho, los estados en donde se llevaron a cabo resultados piloto han
descubierto que los resultados en la evaluacion Smarter Balanced son mucho mas bajos que en Ia evaluacion estatal anterior.
Esto no significa que los estudiantes son menos competentes que antes. Simplemente significa que se espera que nuestros
estudiantes tengan un estandar superior de aprendizaje. Esperamos que con el tiempo, los resultados de los estudiantes
mejoren mientras que se adaptan mejor a los retos del aprendizaje nuevo y a las destrezas tecnol6gicas necesarias para
triunfar.
Si desea mas informacion, visite la pagina web del CDE CAASPP, haciendo clic en Ia pestana Parent/Student en: h
ttp://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tglca/. Si desea estar al tanto sobre este tema, tambien puede visitar nuestro sitio web en
www.fremont.k12.ca.us. Estamos comprometidos a mantener a nuestros padres de familia infornados sobre los Estandares
Basicos Comunes del Estado y sobre la proxima evaluacion Smarter Balanced.
Atentamente,
Kim Wallace, Ed.D.
Superintendente Adjunto de Instruccion