September 12, 2024
from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director
Mark Your Calendars
- Friday, September 13: PA Grade Rep Meeting, 8-9 AM, Family Commons
- Sunday, September 15: New Student Admission & Indexed Tuition Applications Open
- Friday, September 20: LS Duty-Free Lunch with Parent Volunteers, 11:40 AM-12:40 PM, Playground & Family Commons
- Friday, September 20: PA Rainbow Club Meeting, 12-1 PM, Panther Center
- Monday, September 23-Saturday, September 28: Homecoming Week
- Monday, September 23-Friday, September 27: G2-4 MAP Testing
- Wednesday, September 25: Homecoming-Themed LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-8:45 AM, Family Commons
- Friday, September 27: PreK-12 Spirit Wear Day (LS students wear uniform bottoms)
- Friday, September 27: G3-12 Homecoming Assembly, 2:30-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
- Friday, September 27: Hall of Fame Dinner, 6-8 PM, Family Commons, RSVP here >
- Saturday, September 28: Homecoming, information here >
- Tuesday, October 1: School Photo Retakes, 8-10 AM, Indoor Track
What a great beginning we’ve had since starting school! From creating fairy houses on the playground to conflict manager training to exploring the art and self-portraits of Frida Kahlo, our learners have been quite busy. Please read on for some insights for the next few weeks:
MPA Parents Association Quarterly Coffees
We will soon kick off another season of Quarterly Coffees in the Lower School in collaboration with our MPA Parent Association. The date of the first coffee will be confirmed soon!
K-Grade 1 FastBridge Screening Update
This week, children in kindergarten and grade 1 completed their FastBridge screeners led by our student support team. These screeners help our teachers identify the current phase of development in literacy and math skills for each child so that we can offer personalized learning opportunities for students. The teachers review the screening scores as one piece of data in context with other information gathered about each child’s learning journey. As a result of the screeners and other educational data collected by teachers, some students are identified as potentially benefiting from additional support to help them meet their learning goals.
The next step is to analyze the results of the screeners and determine the need for any specialized learning groups. Results will be shared with families at fall conference time and by the week of September 23 if children may benefit from small group instruction with our student support team.
We Are Pleased To Announce The Rainbow Club!
The Rainbow Club is for any Lower School parents, faculty, and staff members who identify, or have children that identify, as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The group is being organized by MPA parent Rachael Weber and exists to have important conversations, create a close knit community, and share resources with each other throughout the year. We meet once a month. Our first meeting of the new year is Thursday, September 20 at noon in the Panther Center. Please email Rachael at rachweb89@gmail.com with questions!
Rachael Weber is an MPA parent with two children in Lower School who started The Rainbow Club in spring of 2024. She saw a need at MPA for a Lower School LGBTQ+ affinity group and has a personal passion for connecting people with others who help them feel seen and represented.
September 23-27: Grades 2-4 MAP Assessments
As shared toward the end of last school year, Lower School will make the shift from FastBridge screening to NWEA MAP assessments for all students in grades 2-4. MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments are not standardized tests; they are adaptive, growth-oriented, and norm-referenced assessments that help us to see the strengths and areas of growth for each learner. MAP assessments were piloted in the Middle School during the 2023-24 academic year, and now MPA will offer the assessment for all students in grades 2-8 twice per academic year (fall and spring). As a result of the MAP assessment and other educational data collected by teachers, some students are identified as potentially benefiting from additional support to help them meet their learning goals.
MAP assessments will be given to all students in grades 2-4 from Monday, September 23-Friday, September 27, 2024, with make-up times scheduled as needed. The students will take the following assessments:
- Math
- Reading
- Language Usage
At home, the best preparation for any assessment is nothing out of the ordinary: proper sleep and good nutrition. We look forward to sharing the MAP results with families at fall conference time.
Friday, September 27: Spirit Wear Day and Homecoming Assembly
Students are invited to wear their MPA spirit gear on top (with uniform bottoms) on Friday, September 27 as we celebrate Homecoming 2024. Children will have the opportunity to have their faces painted on Friday as part of the festivities. Lastly, students in grades 3-4 will also take part in the Homecoming Assembly led by our Upper School students at 2:20 PM in the Lansing Center. If you are a parent of children in the younger grades and would like to attend the Homecoming Assembly with your child(ren), you are more than welcome to do so. Please reach out to your child(ren)’s homeroom teacher to let them know.
CHAMP Update: All About Ubuntu!
This year’s theme is “I Am Because We Are,” inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu: a concept in which your sense of self is shaped by your relationships with other people. In practice, Ubuntu means believing the common bonds within a group are more important than any individual arguments and divisions within it. With an election year upon us and several global conflicts happening simultaneously, it is more important than ever that we teach children to celebrate their shared personhood.
During our first CHAMP assembly last week, the Lower School children and teachers celebrated the spirit of Ubuntu through dance, song, and story. They also had the chance to learn more about our new teachers.
Our next CHAMP assembly is on Wednesday, September 25. We will celebrate Homecoming 2024 with our special Upper School sports team captains and some alumni guests. Please send your child to school wearing their CHAMP colors!
October 10-11: Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
All-school fall conferences are right around the corner. They will take place 3:30-8 PM on Thursday, October 10, and 8 AM-5 PM on Friday, October 11. More information regarding signing up for conferences will be shared soon. Please stay tuned!
