Dear Families,

Spring is here! It’s an important month for our 3rd, 4th,and 5th grade students; they will be taking the State English Language Arts and Math exams. This year, students are feeling less anxious because, for the first time, the exams will be untimed. If your children are feeling worried about the tests, please talk with them and put the tests in perspective. Help your children to understand that they will have many opportunities to showcase what they know in the years ahead.

I was not always the best test taker because I needed a long time to read something new. I was the kind of reader who liked writing notes, re-reading parts that sounded interesting, and stopping to talk with someone about what I read. I was always so nervous about state exams and my anxiety would fog my concentration! I didn’t let this get in the way of my academic goals, though. I found other ways to showcase what I knew. I developed my portfolio. I thought hard about the feedback I got from my teachers. I pursued new interests like swimming and playing the clarinet. I developed new skills; in debate class I learned about public speaking. Gradually, I came to recognize that state exams were just one of many ways for me to show what I knew.

I encourage you to speak with your children to help them understand that their achievements are measured in many ways. Every student has special and unique talents. The state exams are among many exams your children will have to take in their lives; one exam never defines a future.

At Sunset Park school we believe in nurturing the whole child. We have done a lot in the past two years to stand by this commitment. For example, our school-run after-school clubs program is one of the biggest in the city, serving more than 800 students this year. Academically, we have been making such great progress that we even made if off the New York state’s “Focus” list! (Schools in need of improvement were identified by the state in 2011, and PS169 was one of the schools that were identified).

We are getting positive recognition for the work that we’ve been doing! In the most recent evaluation of the school last month (a process known as the Quality Review), on a scale of 1 (Low) to 4 (High), we received one 3 and five 4s. One of the areas we received a 4 in was instructional practices in the classroom.

When I talk with children, their eyes light up as they tell me what they did in Drama or Technology. When you ask your children what they learned today, do they share about problems they solved in Math, projects they worked on in Choice Time, books they read with friends during Drop Everything and Read (DEAR)? If so, we want to hear from parents who want to recognize the great improvements we have been making. You can help spread the word about the good things happening here. Speak up if you can help spread the positivity! You can also share your thoughts by writing to pst@sunsetparkschool.org will post some of your comments on our website.

All the best,

Jaela Kim, Principal Sunset Park School