Platte River Elementary Knights: Measuring Success

With all the recent talk about MEAP scores, AIMSweb testing, and the incoming Smarter Balanced Assessments and NWEA MAP tests, I think it's important to remember that while these tests may be able to measure the degree to which a student can read and answer questions, the test scores that are produced really aren't a good measurement of a student's overall success in school. Here are some personal qualities that we continuously work to develop in our students. None of these can be measured with standardized tests.

Creativity - It's what separates humans from machines, so that has to be incredibly important to cultivate in a child.

Motivation - If we can instill in a child the desire to want to work hard, regardless of any external incentive, that is worth all the time we can give it.

Persistence - Failure ought to be fun. Seriously. Trial and error is the best way to learn anything. When learning becomes just a guided tour instead of an adventure, then failure isn't fun, and you find yourself choosing to do only the things you think you'll do successfully.

Curiosity - C'mon. It never killed anybody. It did, however, lead to the discovery of pretty much everything that's ever been discovered.

Reliability - Kids want adults to count on them. We need to continue to create opportunities for them to be counted on. When they recognize that we need them to follow-through with something, that's what they'll do.

Enthusiasm - Kids don't need to be taught what this is. However, they need to be taught how to channel it appropriately and to be able to call on it when it's lacking.

Compassion - Whether it's donating to a food drive or calling a timeout in the middle of a football game on the playground to make sure your opponent is okay, kids get opportunities ALL DAY to demonstrate compassion.

And that's just naming a few. There are more. Many more. How about courage? Leadership. Resourcefulness. Humor. Humility. It's impossible for standardized tests to measure any of these characteristics, yet they're the focus of the most important lessons we teach every day. I'm referring to the teachable moments. They come up more frequently than we ever anticipate. And when they do, if we see them as interruptions, we get frustrated. It's when we greet them as opportunities that we remember we have the most important job in the world.

Great things happening at Betsie Valley

Mrs. Travis led several data-based discussions with classroom teachers and parapros on Monday, which led to the reorganization of most of our reading and math intervention groups.

Kids at every grade level impressed me with their generosity during last week's BACN food drive. Many students brought in entire boxes of food to donate to families who need it most in our area.

Mrs. Vanderlinde's 2nd graders put their hands on straws and pipe cleaners during math this week in order to create their own polygons. Squares, triangles, and rectangles were among the shapes they created.

Students are noticing a BIG difference in the way textbooks, artifacts, and other manipulatives are being displayed in their classrooms. The new data projectors are now being used in nearly every classroom at Betsie Valley.

Mr. Luebke's 3rd graders received mini ice cream sandwiches after lunch from Mrs. Couturier and Mrs. Hathaway early in the week. These kids' behavior in the lunch room has been OUTSTANDING!

I had the opportunity to share an ice cream treat with Dathan and Angel on Monday afternoon. What a well-timed positive interaction with those kids!

Videos, Articles, Links, and Websites worth your time

Health Benefits of Running in Cold Weather - Short Article

Snow Day Calculator - What are the chances of a "Snow Day" tomorrow? Check the website.

Michigan Basketball Schedule - The schedule for the University of Michigan men's basketball team.

A great clip from a great movie (2 mins)