August 31, 2022

Dear St. Monica Academy Families,

Relationships are important. There are a lot of studies showing that good student-teacher relationships support better academic engagement and learning outcomes. For that reason, I encouraged our teachers to place a strong emphasis last week on getting to know their students. While we continue to work on forming good relationships it is now time to dive into academic learning. To help us know our students better academically we are starting the iReady Beginning of the Year assessment. This online assessment is completed in short segments over several days and gives us instant feedback on the academic proficiencies and gaps for each of our students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Once the math and reading assessments are complete families will receive a family report about your child’s proficiencies and growth areas.

When all the children have taken the assessment, we will have a significant amount of very rich data to guide us in our instructional planning. The faculty can use a variety of reports within the program to examine on an almost granular level which skills their students need help in developing. The program also offers ready to go instructional strategies and lessons to support the teacher.

Our students in kindergarten through fifth grade will complete their assessments after the Labor Day break. Your child’s teacher will give you more information about their testing schedule.

If you need a quick refresher on what iReady is read below.

What is i-Ready? (From Curriculum Associates)

i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

i-Ready Instruction provides students with lessons based on their individual strengths and areas for growth. These lessons are interactive and provide strategic supports to keep your child engaged as they learn.

What can I do to help my child prepare for the diagnostic?

• To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:
• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.
• Try their best on each question and try not to rush.
• Try not to worry about questions they do not know—remind them that it is expected they will get only about half of the questions correct.
• Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish.

Want to know more? Visit the iReady Family Center:  https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/

Wednesday September 14th is St. Monica Academy’s Back to School Night! The evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the church with a greeting from Fr. Greg and Mrs. Zver followed by a visit to your child’s classroom. Representatives from our Student Council will be on hand to welcome you and provide directions.

Members of the Athletic Board will be selling spirit wear and the SMA Fundraising Committee will be available to help you find a volunteer opportunity. You will also be able to pick up your World’s Finest Chocolate in the Teacher’s Lounge. Last but NEVER least Mrs. Reykjalin will be available in the office throughout the event.

Be sure to stop in Beyenka Hall for refreshments before the evening ends. I look forward to seeing everyone on the 14th!

Very Important Housekeeping Notes! Please Read!

Food Service Program

Please direct all inquiries regarding FSP lunch service to Mrs. Carol Evans via  [email protected].

Extended Care Sign Up and Inquiries

If you have already registered for the SMA Extended Care Program, you must still complete the "Sign Up Genius," to let us know what days your child will be attending. The Sign Up Genius can be accessed via the following link https://school.stmonicachicago.com/extended-day-care

Any inquiries regarding the Extended Care Program can be sent to the following email address:

extendedcare@stmonicachicago.com

Safety and Medical Forms

If you have indicated that your child has a food allergy such as tree nuts, it is important we have an up-to-date allergy plan from your doctor to help us respond in the event of an allergic reaction. If we do not have a current plan on file Mrs. Reykjalin will be in touch with you shortly.

If your child has an ongoing health issue that requires medication be held at the school, it is critical we have up-to-date plan from your child’s doctor about their condition and proper procedures for administering medication. If the plan on file with the school is not current Mrs. Reykjalin will be in touch with your shortly.

Summerfest was a huge success! It was great to see so many of our families out to celebrate our school and enjoy a beautiful day together. Thank you to all the tireless volunteers who made our day of fun possible!!!

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