Upcoming basketball camp at Decatur High School.

2013 Gator Basketball Camp Flyer

2013 Gator Basketball Camp Registration

Notice from Federal Way Police PDF format

Our Adelaide third, fourth, and fifth grade students  just completed the MSP (Measurement of Student Progress) state testing.  We have a few make-up tests to administer, however the main testing is now complete We know our Adelaide students did their very best!!  We want to thank our teaching team for their hard work daily in preparing our students for success. Thanks to Adelaide PTA for their help with testing snacks!!

Please be sure to read the information in this newsletter regarding The Common Core State Standards (CCSS). We will be implementing these standards across all grade levels beginning next year. Teachers will participate in training this spring and summer in preparation for the transition.

As we approach the final weeks of the school year, please remind your students daily about the importance of safety, especially with morning arrival.  Students arriving after 8:30  should report directly to the gym and  find their classroom line. Once students have entered the gym, they are supervised and should not leave to go back outside. We are so impressed with how well our students have adapted to our new morning entry procedures! Thanks to our wonderful families for supporting this initiative.

Congratulations to the following Adelaide students, staff and parent/community members for their contributions to our school: Sarah Jeong and Josh Stefoglo   (students); John Roper (staff); Kurt Peppard and Wendy McKay (parent and community members). These wonderful individuals were recognized by the FWPS school board on April 30th for their contributions to the Adelaide community.

In our June newsletter, we will have a great deal of information for the start of the 2013-2014 school year.  We are very grateful to have the opportunity to serve your children each day!

Ann Gray

Principal

May 2013 Newsletter in PDF

Now through May 16, parents and guardians are invited to complete a survey regarding the district’s goals of providing a welcoming environment and engaging parents as partners in education. Parents are asked to complete the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWPS-Parent-Spring2013.

A link to the survey is also on our school website.  If you don’t have a computer at home, you can drop by the school during regular school hours to complete the survey on one of ours!

The district received over 2,200 responses to its online parent survey in November, and the data and comments gathered then are proving valuable in guiding planning by individual schools, and the district. The survey is being offered a second time in order to see if there are any changes in parents’ perceptions, and to continue collecting information to guide the comprehensive family engagement work done through the district’s Family and Community Partnership Office.

 Spanish:

Padres y Tutores, Por Favor Complete Nuestra Encuesta en Línea.

Desde ahora hasta el 16 de Mayo, los padres de familia o tutores se les invita a completar una encuesta acerca de los objetivos del distrito escolar, de proporcionar un ambiente acogedor e involucrar a los padres como colaboradores en la educación de sus hijos.  Por favor, complete la encuesta en  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWPS-Parent-Spring2013-Spanish

Usted puede encontrar el enlace a la encuesta en las páginas de Internet de nuestras escuelas. Si no tiene computadora en casa puede pasar por la escuela para completar la encuesta en una de nuestras computadoras.

El pasado mes de noviembre,  el distrito recibió más de 2.200 respuestas de las encuestas en línea, y los datos y comentarios recogidos a continuación, están demostrando ser  valiosa guía en la planificación de cada escuela, y el distrito. La encuesta se está ofreciendo una segunda vez para ver si hay algún cambio en las percepciones de los padres, y seguir recopilando información para guiar el trabajo de la familia a través de la Oficina de la Alianza Familia y Comunidad.

Gracias por compartir su valioso tiempo para proporcionar información a nuestro distrito.

Korean

학부모와 보호자 여러분, 온라인 설문 조사에 참여해 주십시오

지금부터 5월 16일까지 교육의 동반자로서 학부모를 환영하는 환경을 마련하고 자녀 교육에 학부모가 참여하실 수 있도록 하는 교육구의 목표에 관하여 설문 조사를 합니다.  학부모님께서는https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWPS-Parent-Spring2013-Korean 에 있는 온라인 설문  조사에  응해 주십시오.

학교의 웹사이트에도 설문 조사가 있는 링크를 찾으실 수 있습니다. 댁에 컴퓨터가 없으시면 학교의 정규 시간 중 학교에 가셔서 거기 있는 컴퓨터로 설문 조사에 답해 주실 수도 있습니다!

11월에 있었던 온라인 학부모 설문 조사에 2,200 개 이상의 응답이 있었습니다. 그 때 모아진 자료와 의견은 각 학교와 교육구가 계획을 세우는데 귀중한 역할을 합니다.  이 설문조사는 학부모의 인식에 변화가 있는지 알아보고, 또 교육구의 가족 및 공동체 협력 사무소가 행하는 포괄적인 가족 참여 업무의 지침이 될 자료를 계속 수집하기 위해서 두번째로 행해집니다.

한국어  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWPS-Parent-Spring2013-Korean.

Russian:

Родители, пожалуйста, заполните опросный лист на интернете

В школьном округе «Federal Way» понимают, как важно активное участие родителей и опекунов в процессе обучения детей. Поэтому мы приглашаем Вас заполнить опросный лист относительно вовлечения родителей в процесс обучения детей и создания доброжелательной атмосферы в наших школах. Заполнить опросный лист можно в любое время начиная с сегодняшнего дня и до 16 мая. Заполнить опросный лист можно на интернете https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWPS-Parent-Spring2013.

Вы также можете найти ссылку к странице с опросным листом на нашем вебсайте. Если у Вас нет компьютeра дома, Вы можете воспользоваться компьютeром в любой из наших школ!

Школьный округ получил более 2200 ответов на интернет- опрос, который предлагался родителям в ноябре месяце. Комментарии которые мы собрали оказались ценным материалом для планирования работы в школах и в целом по школьному округу. Проводя этот опрос во второй раз мы хотим видеть, какие изменения произошли в восприятии родителей, а также продолжить сбор информации для улучшения работы школьного отдела по связям с общественностью «Family and Community Partnership Office».

Спасибо за Ваше время и предоставление важной для нас информации.

Washington State Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) testing begins on April 24th.

Adelaide students in grades 3,4, and 5 will be taking the MSP assessments beginning on April 24th.  Our students have been working hard all year long to master grade level expectations through their work towards meeting the FWPS power standards.  We are very proud of our students and we know they will do their very best!

MSP assessments include multiple choice questions and written responses.  We use these assessments in conjunction with district assessments and classroom based assessments, to measure student progress towards district and state standards.

It is very important that your child is present for all days of the MSP testing period.  Please be sure that students get a good nights rest, arrive at school on-time, and have a healthy and hearty breakfast!  Our wonderful PTA will be preparing water and snacks for our students throughout the testing period.

Adelaide’s testing schedule is as follows:

April 2013 Newsletter in PDF

Message from the Principal:

Highly Capable Program (GATE) Selection Process

In Federal Way Public Schools, a Highly Capable Program (HCP) is offered in each elementary school across the district. The selection process occurs each year in the spring and is determined by a selection team. Nominating teachers are not included in the selection due to conflicts of interest. They are not able to influence or petition the team; the process is based on the Washington State and FPS Board Policies regarding HCP selection. The process begins in March and ends in June when HCP candidates are notified. If a student is placed in the HCP classroom in FWPS, they remain with the same teacher or group of students for 2-4 consecutive years (depending on the school’s HCP configuration). Students must be nominated and qualified for the program based on a combination of academic achievement, cognitive ability, and exceptional creativity. The HCP classes at Adelaide Elementary are multi-age (2-3 and 4-5). Class size is recommended at 25, with balanced numbers of students from each grade level. This varies from school-to-school depending on the needs of the school community. Nominees from 1st grade enter the program in 2nd grade. Students that are not selected for HCP the first time they apply can apply again at the end of the next school year. This is based on available space. Teachers, parents, or community members are invited to nominate students for the HCP Program. Nomination packets are available in the school office after Spring break and are due by May 3, 2013. Late applications will not be accepted due to the length of the standardized assessment process. All HCP classes are required, by Equity & Achievement Board Policy, to reflect the demographics of the school population. An information sheet is available at Student-Led-Conferences (SLCs), on the District web-site, and in the school office upon request. Following is the FWPS district Policy for Gifted & Talented Program.

Highly Capable Program District Policy – 2190P

Federal Way Public Schools has adopted Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), as its instructional model, and has a clear commitment to equity and diversity of opportunity for all students. Students will be in the class for the duration of their elementary stay.

Identification Process Components
Nomination: Parents and community members may also nominate a student for placement. A parent nomination form and a list of characteristics to look for in a gifted child will be available at elementary schools. Translations in Korean, Spanish and Russian are available.

Assessment: Federal Way Public Schools will utilize the current grade district assessments, the portfolio system, and the “Developmentally Acceler-ated Skills Inventory” (DASI), a required teacher evaluation tool.

Selection Team
A multi-disciplinary selection team composed of the school principal, psychologist or counselor, a classroom teacher, and a specialist will review data from the assessments administered to each of the nominated students. They will select students who will receive the most benefit from participating in the GATE program. Each school’s principal and selection team will: Send written notification to parents of students who are selected and obtain parental permission to provide services in the program Send written notification to parents of non-selected students with a full explanation of procedures for identification, selection and appeal process Send written notification to parents of students on “wait list” and maintain a prioritized waiting list of students, to fill spots that become open. They will receive a full explanation of procedures for identification, selection criteria, and appeal process
The District will: Define and refine the Highly Capable Program Selection Process each year Ensure that elementary school administrators understand and follow guidelines for selection and program development Be available to talk with parents who request additional information about the selection process and criteria Provide professional development for teachers of highly capable students Review GATE students’ annual Highly Capable Plans and keep them on file at the district office

March 2013 Newsletter in PDF

Dear Adelaide Families

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for supporting our new morning entry procedures. The students are doing a FANTASTIC job coming into the gym each morning.  We are enjoying the sense of community that the morning assembly brings to the start of the day.

A few reminders:

• Breakfast does not begin until 8:20
• Students should be in their lines ready to start the day at 8:45
• Encourage your  children to bring a book to read while waiting for assembly to begin
• When dropping off/picking up students in the parking lot, please do not

Double-park. It is important that all cars go through the line for student     safety.

This Friday, students will be bringing home their fall report card. Please review this carefully and feel free to contact teachers with any questions.  I will be meeting individually with all teachers the week of February 20^th to discuss the progress of all Adelaide students. This is a time when we look at progress to date and determine any additional academic/social supports that might be helpful to the success of our students.

Our volunteer portable is up and running! We have lots of work for volunteers to complete. Bring your little ones and help your school with much needed support!  For more information, contact Sally in the main office.

We look forward to seeing you all this Thursday for Math Night! Dinner will be at 5:00, followed by activities designed to help you support your student with mathematics!

On February 26^th, our second annual “Dad and Me” event will take place. A wonderful evening for fathers, uncles, and male role models to spend time with students here at school. We will have a dinner prepared by Grace Church and wonderful activities…mark your calendar!!

Happy February!

Ann Gray, Principal

February Newsletter PDF

Dear Adelaide families:

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful winter break. As we return to school, we have much information to share with you. Earlier this week, you received a flier with safety measures from the school district. Please be sure to review these carefully. In this bulletin I have included a summary of the Safety drills that we practice explicitly at Adelaide with students each year.  Safety is our #1 priority,  and we will continue to dialogue, practice, and communicate expectations and procedures as a school community. These procedures will also be reviewed with teachers at our staff meeting in January.

Another safety measure we are implementing this month (January 29^th) is a new morning entry procedure. In an effort to increase supervision of students, remove students from inclement weather, and start our day in a calm and positive manner, all students will be reporting to the gym upon arrival each morning.  The front outside door to the gym will open daily at 8:30. Adults will be present to supervise students.  It will be helpful for families to bring students about five minutes earlier than you currently do, so we can effectively begin this new routine.  Students will enter and sit in rows by class. Breakfast will continue in the gym and will begin at 8:20. When the bell rings at 8:45, teachers will arrive,  and we will have morning announcements as a school community. Attendance and lunch counts will also be taken. Teachers and students will then move to their classrooms to begin their instructional day! Students will begin to learn and practice this new procedure next week during collaboration rotations. More  information will be sent home as we get closer to the start date of January 29^th!!  Mark your calendars!!

Another exciting event is the opening of our volunteer portable. The portable closest to the school building will open as a volunteer work station on January 17^th. We will host an orientation for parents/volunteers at 8:30 that morning. This workroom will be stocked with resources needed to help teachers with classroom projects. It will also be “child friendly” and we welcome volunteers to come and bring their small children. This will allow for families with young children to volunteer without having to secure childcare!  Volunteers will check in at the main office with Mrs. Head and she will provide them with classroom work and access to the portable. Teachers might also give parents other projects that could be completed in the portable. We are excited to see many new faces volunteering in support of our children. Please come to orientation on the 17^th. If you can’t make it, procedures can be reviewed with you at another time!!

On January 31^st and February 1^st, Adelaide staff will engage in Data Day and teacher professional development. These are non-school days for students. On February 1st and 2^nd, a group of nine Adelaide teachers will be involved in GLAD (guided language acquisition training) as we move towards having all staff trained in these effective teaching strategies.  Other staff members (who have completed GLAD training) will engage in workshops that support further implementation of the strategies they have previously learned.

Lastly, February will bring two family events. We will host Family Math Night on February 7th. This evening will be dedicated to supporting families with tools to help your students with their math skills. On the 26^th, our second annual “Dad and Me” will take place. Both events will start with dinner, followed by activities. We hope to see all of our families at these events.

A very special thanks to Grace Church and our Adelaide PTA for sponsoring yet another wonderful Winter Wonderland Family event in December.  Over 400 people were served, and the crafts were amazing! We are very grateful for these two partnerships!

I wish you much joy and happiness in 2013.

Sincerely,
Ann Gray, Principal

 January Newsletter (in PDF)

December Newsletter (pdf)