News from our Secondary Principal, Katherine Banner
MAP TESTING
From May 7 to May 25, students in grades 2 through 10 will do the Spring NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments. Students will receive preparation including test-taking strategies and mindfulness.
NWEA MAP is a form of standardized assessment done on a computer that allow students and teachers to track progress as well as providing a comparison to school and international standards. The purpose of MAP is to see what students are capable of and to monitor and set goals for further learning. In addition, MAP results are one of the data points used for determining acceptance into the IB Diplomma Programme. Grade 2 students sit three assessments: Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics. Grade 3 to 10 students take four assessments: Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics, Science. While MAP is untimed, each assessment takes about one hour and have anywhere from 40 to 54 questions.
This assessment is an opportunity for your student to show what they know. Please encourage your child to take their time on this assessment and to try their best - it is not a race! Ensure that your child is well rested the night before the assessment. (Students will have only one assessment per day and may have one or two days of rest in between.) MAP assessments are unique in that they adapt the questions based on your child's previous answers; questions get progressively more challenging with each correct response. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed, show growth and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.
If you would like to look at some practice questions of how the test will look, follow this link with your child: http://warmup.nwea.org/map_student_menu.html
Please bare in mind these are questions that go up to Grade 5 so don't be alarmed! This is just to show you the format, not the exact questions given. The actual MAP assessment will adapt Results of the Spring MAP will be sent home at the end of the school year.
For more information visit: https://www.nwea.org/assessments/resources-for-parents/
Spotlight on our College Acceptances
It’s been an exciting past few months for our seniors! University acceptances have started to roll in for our seniors, which has been such a momentous and satisfying experience for them as they can reap the rewards of their hard work! We have had acceptances to many top US universities such as Parsons The New School, Purdue University, University of California Davis, The Art Institute of Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Washington, and many more! Additionally, our students have received offers from many prestigious European Universities such as King’s College London, London School of Economics, St. Andrews University Scotland, University of Amsterdam, Bocconi University as well as many other wonderful universities! Finally, and most excitingly, are the scholarship offers that students have been receiving. Most of our students planning to attend university in the United States have received some sort of merit base scholarship. Most notably, we have many students that have been given full rides to university!! It has been incredible to hear the scholarship news, and we are delighted that so many have received full tuition scholarships for US schools. Way to go seniors!
International day at GAA
Thursday April 27th introduced GAA’s Middle Schoolers to International Day. The day began with students and staff wearing clothes representing their country or flag, where some excellent outfits were displayed. Middle School students then had their first two lessons with an international theme; some great ideas from their teachers. From 10am, the students filled the auditorium for the International showcase, with a range of acts from many year groups. Four Grade 1 classes started the show with a spectacular fashion show of the different cultures at GAA. They were applauded as they entered and should be very proud of themselves. Ms Deveor’s percussion group stole the show with a variety of pieces from around the world, encouraging the audience to dance, raising the roof in doing so. The other four Grade 1 classes then performed an array of dances from Mexico and China, to demonstrate what they had learned earlier in the year – everyone was impressed!
The show then continued with musical and cultural acts from Chloe, Alex and Gabby, Filip and Nicolo, Caterina and Paige, Lelia, Athina, Hamda, Ghaya, Mariam, Christelle, Nawal and Mia, Somaria, Leah and Maayna as well as a group of brave Grade 5 students (Sarah, Amelia, Gokce and Melanie). As a demonstration of the community spirit we have here at GAA, a group of four Spanish mums performed a traditional Spanish dance to bring the show to close.
Ms. Broderick would like to thank all participants, as this could not have happened without your bravery, communication with Ms Broderick and hard work. A special thanks also goes to Mr. Broderick and Mr. Lyons, who were excellent MCs on the day, Ms. Collinson for promoting sport for the showcase, Ms. Lyons, Ms. Dunn and Ms. Caitlin for encouraging the Grade 1s to take part, Ms. Deveor for her outstanding percussion group and Ashique, Ms. Taylor and Ms. Meininger for their part in the audio-visuals.
We hope the acts have given others the inspiration and motivation to perform something from their culture next year so we can all celebrate the many nationalities we have at GAA.
From May 7 to May 25, students in grades 2 through 10 will do the Spring NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments. Students will receive preparation including test-taking strategies and mindfulness.
NWEA MAP is a form of standardized assessment done on a computer that allow students and teachers to track progress as well as providing a comparison to school and international standards. The purpose of MAP is to see what students are capable of and to monitor and set goals for further learning. In addition, MAP results are one of the data points used for determining acceptance into the IB Diplomma Programme. Grade 2 students sit three assessments: Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics. Grade 3 to 10 students take four assessments: Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics, Science. While MAP is untimed, each assessment takes about one hour and have anywhere from 40 to 54 questions.
This assessment is an opportunity for your student to show what they know. Please encourage your child to take their time on this assessment and to try their best - it is not a race! Ensure that your child is well rested the night before the assessment. (Students will have only one assessment per day and may have one or two days of rest in between.) MAP assessments are unique in that they adapt the questions based on your child's previous answers; questions get progressively more challenging with each correct response. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed, show growth and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.
If you would like to look at some practice questions of how the test will look, follow this link with your child: http://warmup.nwea.org/map_student_menu.html
Please bare in mind these are questions that go up to Grade 5 so don't be alarmed! This is just to show you the format, not the exact questions given. The actual MAP assessment will adapt Results of the Spring MAP will be sent home at the end of the school year.
For more information visit: https://www.nwea.org/assessments/resources-for-parents/
Spotlight on our College Acceptances
It’s been an exciting past few months for our seniors! University acceptances have started to roll in for our seniors, which has been such a momentous and satisfying experience for them as they can reap the rewards of their hard work! We have had acceptances to many top US universities such as Parsons The New School, Purdue University, University of California Davis, The Art Institute of Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Washington, and many more! Additionally, our students have received offers from many prestigious European Universities such as King’s College London, London School of Economics, St. Andrews University Scotland, University of Amsterdam, Bocconi University as well as many other wonderful universities! Finally, and most excitingly, are the scholarship offers that students have been receiving. Most of our students planning to attend university in the United States have received some sort of merit base scholarship. Most notably, we have many students that have been given full rides to university!! It has been incredible to hear the scholarship news, and we are delighted that so many have received full tuition scholarships for US schools. Way to go seniors!
International day at GAA
Thursday April 27th introduced GAA’s Middle Schoolers to International Day. The day began with students and staff wearing clothes representing their country or flag, where some excellent outfits were displayed. Middle School students then had their first two lessons with an international theme; some great ideas from their teachers. From 10am, the students filled the auditorium for the International showcase, with a range of acts from many year groups. Four Grade 1 classes started the show with a spectacular fashion show of the different cultures at GAA. They were applauded as they entered and should be very proud of themselves. Ms Deveor’s percussion group stole the show with a variety of pieces from around the world, encouraging the audience to dance, raising the roof in doing so. The other four Grade 1 classes then performed an array of dances from Mexico and China, to demonstrate what they had learned earlier in the year – everyone was impressed!
The show then continued with musical and cultural acts from Chloe, Alex and Gabby, Filip and Nicolo, Caterina and Paige, Lelia, Athina, Hamda, Ghaya, Mariam, Christelle, Nawal and Mia, Somaria, Leah and Maayna as well as a group of brave Grade 5 students (Sarah, Amelia, Gokce and Melanie). As a demonstration of the community spirit we have here at GAA, a group of four Spanish mums performed a traditional Spanish dance to bring the show to close.
Ms. Broderick would like to thank all participants, as this could not have happened without your bravery, communication with Ms Broderick and hard work. A special thanks also goes to Mr. Broderick and Mr. Lyons, who were excellent MCs on the day, Ms. Collinson for promoting sport for the showcase, Ms. Lyons, Ms. Dunn and Ms. Caitlin for encouraging the Grade 1s to take part, Ms. Deveor for her outstanding percussion group and Ashique, Ms. Taylor and Ms. Meininger for their part in the audio-visuals.
We hope the acts have given others the inspiration and motivation to perform something from their culture next year so we can all celebrate the many nationalities we have at GAA.