- Neil Cummins Elementary School
- Weekly Bulletin Archives 2021-2022
Neil Cummins Weekly, Week of September 19, 2021
UPCOMING DATES
September 20-24 Early Dismissal at 1:30 p.m. - K-5 Reading Assessments
September 30 School Photo Day
October 6 International Walk & Roll To School Day
October 16 and 17 Drive-In Movies 7:15 p.m., The Village at Corte Madera
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
Reading Assessments This Week
Our teachers are our lead learners- meaning they model continuous learning for our students. On Friday, we spent the day diving deep into the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (F&P assessments). These are the one on one reading assessments that teachers will be giving to your children this week.
These assessments look at fluency (how smooth is the reading), accuracy (how many errors does the child make) and comprehension (do they understand what they are reading). Teachers use these results to plan differentiated instruction and set personalized goals for your child.
The assessments also produce an independent reading level (A-Z) that can help guide your child to “just right” books at home. When we send the assessment results home, you will see more information about how to choose “just right” books for your child to read independently at home.
It is important to note that the reading level that comes home this year should not necessarily be directly compared to last year’s February (or spring) level. There are 2 reasons for this. First, our 3rd-5th grade used a different assessment system last year and is transitioning to F&P assessments this year. Different systems use different leveling metrics. Second, the training last week emphasized the significance of detailed, calibrated comprehension scoring. Teachers had a chance to practice scoring again and discuss/ calibrate results with common sample students. In short, we expect scores will be more accurate and scoring protocols will be more helpful for teachers to determine next steps for their students.
Thank you for rearranging your schedules to give our teachers this invaluable time with their students to learn about them as readers!
Sincerely,
Kyle Shaw
SCHOOL AND PTO NEWS
PTO Needs Your Help Supporting Neil Cummins, specifically, with dance, movement, social-emotional classes, library books, playground equipment, the garden, school events, grade-level activities and staff appreciation, our PTO runs on your donations. The suggested annual contribution is $50 per family. You can donate ONLINE HERE or at the school office or by mail to 58 Mohawk Ave, Corte Madera, CA 94925, attn: Neil Cummins PTO Membership. Checks payable to Neil Cummins PTO and note "NC PTO Membership" in the notes section of your check. Thank you for the support!
International Walk & Roll to School Day Wednesday October 6 Join us as thousands of kids at schools across the world will walk, bike, skate and scoot to school as part of International Walk & Roll to School Day. Come to the Safe Routes to Schools welcome table in front of school that morning to receive a prize for your participation starting at 7:45 am. We look forward to seeing you there!
Garden Bites Success The Hawks' Garden Team hosted our first Garden Bites in the garden last week where we served food from our very own garden. We served apples and cheddar, apples and honey from Ms. Swisher's bees, cucumber tea sandwiches, and Caprese skewers with tomatoes straight from the garden. The children are loving the Hawks' Garden and enjoy the fruits of all the Garden Team's labor.
Zero Waste Tip Did you know that starting in January, 2022, SB 1383 will require all homes, apartments and businesses in California to compost separately from trash/recycling? Read Here for more info on the Compost Law.
SPARK NEWS
2nd Annual Drive-In Movies Yes, that’s right - we are featuring two movies on two different nights this year! Join us on October 16 for Sing! or October 17 for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - or join us for both nights! Parking lot opens at 6:00 pm, movies start at 7:15 pm at The Village at Corte Madera. Tickets are available for purchase now. If you plan to attend both nights, be sure to select both nights. To-go meals are also available for purchase. For more information visit here. Purchase tickets here.
Nicolette x SPARK Sip & Shop Join us Wednesday September 22 anytime from 12-7pm for bubbly, appetizers and shopping the latest fall fashions. District parent-owned SPARK Biz Partner Nicolette will donate 10% of your purchases directly to SPARK!
What Does Community-Funded Mean? Today’s reality is that public schools in California can no longer rely on state and local funding to provide a well-rounded education. As the primary fundraising organization for the entire LCMSD, SPARK raises over $1.5M per year for our three schools: Neil Cummins, Hall and The Cove through Annual Giving, business partnerships and fundraising events. In order to reach our $1.5M goal, we need participation from every family. Every donation, at any amount, makes a difference for every LCMSD student. Make your tax-deductible Annual Giving donation today.
Become a Biz Partner Increase your exposure to our school community through event sponsorships, social media promotions and signage all while supporting our schools! Sign up today. Check out our 2021-2022 Biz partners and don’t forget to tell them SPARK sent you!
Are You Getting Our Emails? Stay in the know on happenings and important SPARK related announcements. If you have not been receiving any emails from SPARK via MailChimp, check your spam/junk/promotion filters and then contact us at info@SPARKschools.org if you want to be added.
SPARK Volunteer Openings We’d like to create a gratitude committee. Would you like to help? Email info@SPARKschools.org if interested and learn more here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Click here for our Community News that includes:
- Choose Renewable Energy
- St. Pat's CYO Basketball
- Crossing Guards are Needed
- Corte Madera Parks and Rec Before and After School Classes
- Marin Girls Chorus
- Afterschool Art Classes with Karen’s Art and Enrichment
The Neil Cummins Weekly is a digital bulletin published by the NC PTO and distributed to the school community each Sunday via email. To submit an article, email the Editor at nchawksweekly@gmail.com. Articles must be received by Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in order to be included in the next issue. To receive a subscription to The Neil Cummins Weekly or to change your email address, send a note to emailupdates@lcmschools.org. Need more information? Contact The Weekly editors at or visit one of the following Web sites: Neil Cummins, Larkspur- Corte Madera School District, Neil Cummins PTO or SPARK.