January 2012
 
Dear Parents:
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that almost half of the year is already gone. Time has flown by. We are very pleased with all the good things that happened at Sallye Moore the first semester. The focus has been on learning, and the students are working hard to make it an Exemplary year!!
 
As we move into the second half of the year, we have many challenges ahead. We are moving into the “testing season” in Texas. We will begin this month with our kindergarten, first, and second graders will be having their reading skills assessed using the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI). Our 3rd – 5th graders will be taking benchmark tests to prepare them for their state tests that will occur in March and April. All of these tests are based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), which is the required curriculum in Texas. Results will help us to better plan instruction for the students. Our goal is for all students to be on grade level in reading, writing, and math by the end of the year. We also want our school to earn a high academic rating from the state.

Saturday School tutoring will begin in February for third, fourth, and fifth graders. This year third graders will be taking state tests in reading and math, and our fourth graders will be tested in reading, math, and writing. These tests prepare our students and lay the foundation for their fifth grade year, when they must take reading, math, and science and pass both the reading and math tests to be promoted to sixth grade. We are in the process of taking some practice tests to help us find out who needs extra instruction in order to be successful. If you receive word from your child’s teacher that your child needs to attend Saturday School or attend after-school tutoring, please make every effort to have him/her there. It is critical to their academic success. We are very fortunate to have teachers willing to come in on Saturdays and stay late after school to work with our students so that they can be successful.
 
On January 17th (the beginning of the new semester), we start over again counting tardies. As a reminder, per district policy, students are allowed four tardies per semester. It is very important for our students to be at school on time to be able to have a great start to their day and maximize their daily learning.
 
We’re looking forward to a hectic, but rewarding, second semester. Thanks for all you do to support the students and staff at Sallye Moore Elementary
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
Traci Davis, Principal