Dear Canyon View Families,
I hope that you all had a
memorable winter break and a happy New Year! Seeing how excited our children were to be back at school
last week was a great experience for the staff, and the sounds of children’s
voices and laughter once again fill our hallways and classrooms.
Geography
Bee
Today, Canyon View once again
held its annual Geography Bee competition, and we want to congratulate all of
the students for the hard work and dedication they put into this
extracurricular club. Since
August, these students gave up their lunch recess once a week to learn about
the unique geographic features of our world, and their perseverance and effort certainly
paid off! We want to recognize and
congratulate our school-level champion, Christoph L. and our second place
finisher, Samuel W. for their superior performances! Also, we want to extend a special thank you to Mr. Dasika
for dedicating his time and energy to teach our students about the world in
which we live. Thank you!
State
Assessment
As you may be aware, the state
of Arizona has adopted a new assessment that will replace AIMS (except for 4th
grade Science), beginning this spring. AzMERIT (Arizona’s Measurement of
Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching) is the name of this new assessment.
Below are some FAQ’s about this assessment:
What is AzMERIT?
AzMERIT (Arizona’s Measurement
of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching) is Arizona’s new statewide
achievement test. Arizona is partnering with the American Institutes for
Research (AIR) to develop tests which are unique to Arizona.
Why does Arizona need this new test?
In 2010, the Arizona State Board
of Education adopted new standards in English language arts and mathematics for
all students in Arizona. These academic standards outline what students should
know and be able to do at each grade level. With the adoption and
implementation of new standards, a new test was necessary.
How is AzMERIT different from the AIMS test?
Arizona’s Instrument to Measure
Standards (AIMS) tested the old standards. Spring 2014 was the last time AIMS
was administered for reading, writing, and mathematics. AzMERIT, based on the
new standards, will tell teachers, students, and parents if students are on track
to be college and career ready upon graduation from high school. The Arizona
Science Standards did not change, so students in Grades 4, 8, and high school
will still take the AIMS Science test. High school students graduating after December
31, 2016 will no longer be required to pass the AIMS test to graduate high
school.
Who will take AzMERIT?
Arizona public school students
in Grades 3 through high school will take AzMERIT. Students in Grades 3 through
8 will take an assessment in English language arts and mathematics at their
grade level. Students taking high school level English and mathematics will
take End-of-Course assessments that will test their proficiency in these
subjects. Only eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities will
participate in other alternate achievement tests.
When will the test be given?
Students will take AzMERIT in
the spring of 2015. The testing window for schools administering the computer-based
test is March 30-May 8, 2015. The testing window for the paper-based test is April
13-24, 2015. CFSD students will be taking the computer-based assessment this
year. Schools will inform students
and parents of specific testing dates within these windows.
Where can I find more information?
The Arizona Department of
Education has a lot of information about AzMERIT, including sample test items,
on their website: http://www.azed.gov/assessment/azmerit/
Open Houses
& Tours
On Monday, January 26 and Monday, February 9 at 2 PM, Canyon View will be hosting our two
Kinder Show & Tells. Parents
who have an incoming kindergarten student(s) are invited to attend one of our
Open Houses to learn more about the kindergarten programs offered at Canyon
View. Please call 209-7702 to make
your reservation.
Additionally, Canyon View will be
hosting our next two Open Houses for prospective Open Enrollment families on Wednesday, February 4 at 8:30 AM and Monday, February 16 at 2:00 PM. If you know of any families who are
interested in learning more about what Canyon View has to offer their children,
please pass this important information along to them. To RSVP for the Open Houses, or to schedule a small group/individual tour, please
call 209-7702. As a reminder,
current Open Enrollment families must reapply each year between December 1st
and the end of February. Open
Enrollment applications are available online at www.cfsd16.org.
Finally, on Thursday, January 22 and Thursday, February 12 at
6:00 PM, Esperero Canyon Middle School will be hosting their Open Houses
for 4th and 5th grade parents and students. ECMS is a
dynamic middle school that has much to offer their students and families. The staff at ECMS is looking forward to
sharing with you their academic course offerings and extracurricular programs,
and they hope to see you there!
Additional information can be found on the ECMS website: http://www.cfsd16.org/schools/espererocanyon/
Have a wonderful weekend!
Rob Henikman
Principal
