School News

Reminder, that tonight, Thursday, May 19th, from 6:00-7:00 PM we will be hosting a virtual Parent Workshop on the topic of "Zones of Regulation" presented by Pacific Clinic's (formally known as Uplift) School Based Intervention Team (SBIT). This year our Blackford staff was trained on "Zones of Regulation" in an effort to increase our students' social emotional skills in the five core competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. In an effort to bridge these competencies across school and home, we are offering this parent workshop. Please see attached invitation and Zoom link. The workshop will be offered in both English and Spanish, with an interpreter.

Invitation (English/Spanish linked here)

Next week our students in Grades 3-5 will begin their State Testing.  The test is referred to as the SBAC Test.   The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are part of the state testing system called the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress or CAASPP.  Our students will be participating in this testing through May 19th. 

Testing will take place in the mornings from 8:30-10:10 AM.  Testing can be stressful for students, and we make every effort to help prepare them for the stamina of testing.  Teachers are completing practice tests and helping students with growth mindset in an effort to help students feel positive towards the testing process.  Parents can help by making sure their child gets a good night's rest, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives to school on time each day.  We also ask that parents schedule appointments for later in the day, or even better after testing concludes in May.  It is critical for every student to be present each day for testing.  Missing sections of the test administration can increase the stress level for a child.

Parents can review the testing format and sample questions by logging in to the following links below. 

See the following information and resources provided for parents/families. 

https://ca.startingsmarter.org/

Parent Guides 

English

Spanish

In an effort to ensure safe return to school after Spring Break, the Governor’s office provided enough tests for every student and employee to receive two at-home COVID tests.

This week our school will be distributing test kits to each student and employee as part of the strategy to detect any spikes in the virus. The at-home tests are provided to allow students and employees to test the day prior to returning from Spring Break (test on April 10) and then again two days later (April 12).  

Any positive cases should remain at home, isolate and report the absence to the school.

Your child will receive their two at home test kits by Thursday, March 31st. Teachers will be passing out the kits to students to bring home by Thursday.  We realize some students already brought theirs home yesterday.

We need your help! The garden is growing and so is the students' interest. We can't keep up without you. Email blackfordpta [at] gmail.com or friend us at Blackford Elementary PTA on Facebook to get involved! :)

¡Nosotros necesitamos su ayuda! El jardín está creciendo y también el interés de los estudiantes por él. No podemos seguir sin usted. Si usted desea ser voluntario/a o necesita más información y participar en este proyecto, mande un correo electrónico a blackfordpta [at] gmail.com o agréguese como miembro del PTA de la Escuela Primaria Blackford en Facebook ! :)