Dear Parents – April 4, 2012
The AIMS test will be here in 2 weeks! I cannot believe that we are already at that point in the year. I am confident that our class will do exceptionally well. The students have worked hard all year and are ready to show the world that they are the best third grade class in Arizona!
The AIMS test will span three days for third grade. Each of those days will include a language arts test and a math test. English Language Arts and Math are the only subjects that are tested in 3rd grade. Students will take the language arts portion first, have a break, and then continue with the math section. The tests are not timed and students are given ample time to answer each question. The expectation is that testing will occur from 8:00 – 11:00am. The afternoons will be spent reviewing topics and debriefing from the morning tests.
You might be asking yourself what you can do to help. It is important that your child gets a quality night’s sleep the day before a test. Please try and ensure that your child gets at least 8 hours of sleep. Also, studies have shown that the human brain takes 20 minutes to return to normal activity after experiencing trauma (this can be anything from being startled by a stranger to getting in trouble at home). While I am not suggesting that you give your child a free pass to misbehave, I am asking that we try to upset them as little as possible. Try and be flexible. We want them to be as calm and comfortable as possible while testing. Finally, please make every effort to have your child present at school and on time for testing days.
Our class will be having breakfast together the mornings of April 18th, 19th, and 24th. If you are donating an item please have it to school by 7:20 on the morning that you are assigned. I will start allowing students in the room at 7:25 for a communal breakfast. We will end promptly at 7:45 and we will start the test at 8am.
Lastly, we will not be covering any new material during both weeks of AIMS testing. Your child will not have homework – his or her homework will be to get a nutritious dinner and a quality night’s rest. Again, this is supposed to be a calm and relaxing week.
Thank you for all of your support. With your help I know that the students will do an excellent job on the test. This is their first year taking the AIMS, and I want to make it as stress free as possible. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to me. Thank you for all that you do!
Sincerely – Jordan Loring
