Save the Date!
Wednesday, May 22 is Willowwind’s First Annual Portfolio Night:
A Culminating Event in a Yearlong Look At Your Child’s Growth
It is hard to believe that the school year is nearly over, but we are looking forward to closing the year with a wonderful event that takes a look at your child’s yearlong progress. This blog post details Portfolio Night’s important work and why your child’s participation in this event is an essential requirement. Please read carefully. A timeline of events is detailed below.
As many of you may know, Willowwind prides itself on the use of alternative assessment methods using hands-on projects, anecdotal records, written narratives, and Personalized Education Plans to monitor student growth and achievement. Over the last two years, Willowwind educators have researched additional assessment methods and, this year, implemented the use of academic portfolios as a major tool in observing and reflecting on children’s growth at school. They have become a rich part of our life at Willowwind School. Yearly, students will collect and reflect on works that tell a story about themselves as learners. Each one-year collection is documented electronically and will travel with students as they progress through the grades at Willowwind.
An academic portfolio is not only a powerful tool for your child but also for their teachers and you their parents as well. It allows all of us to see, in a dramatic way, the progress your child makes over time. Students delight in reviewing work from previous years. These observations and self-reflections by the young child are important steps toward a student’s sense of ownership and commitment to their education career.
At Willowwind, we have come to understand how valuable it is for students not only to have access to their work over time, but also for them to share their reflections with the important people in their lives. Thus, Willowwind’s 1st Annual Portfolio Night emerges where children become expert presenters of their lives at school and the work they do here. It is a time for each student to share with family, friends, and the Willowwind Community their love for school and their successes and strength. It is a chance for parents to listen to their child as they begin to make connections between the work of school and their own sense of growth.
Your child is working hard and eagerly preparing for this night. They will be presenting their self-selected pieces that will go in this year’s portfolio and will join their K-6 electronic portfolio archive. They are proud of their work and eager to share their work with the community. Please note that this event is a requirement for all K-6 students, so please be sure your child will be available for this important event. We have been working hard to prepare for our individual presentations at Portfolio Night. If for some unforeseen reason your child will not be at this event please RSVP to your classroom teacher by Monday, May 6th. We are really looking forward to this adventure, and we are sure that with your collaboration it will be an outstanding experience for all of us but most notably for your child.
Sincerely,
the Willowwind K-6 Faculty
Portfolio Night Details:
Who: Willowwind’s K-6 students
What: will present work from their 2012 – 2013 school year
Where: Willowwind School’s K-6 classrooms
When: Wednesday, May 22nd 5:00 – 7:00
Why: to illustrate overall individual and yearlong progress in areas of study
May 22nd’s Timeline of Events:
5:00 – 5:45 BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic)
Bring picnic blankets and food to share with your family.
5:45 – 6:05 Student / Family Share Time
Parents can listen as your own child shares their yearlong work and portfolio pieces.
6:05 – 6:45 Classroom Rotations
Rotate through other K-6 classes to take a peek at what other Willowwind classes have learned and what your child will study in coming years.
6:45 – 7:00 Refreshments
Celebrate Willowwind students’ hard work with a treat. Please use SignUpGenius to volunteer to bring a dozen treats to their event.
No comments:
Post a Comment