Principal’s Corner—November

“At the Heart of the Matter” by Michael Breault

MCAS student performance is at the heart of the matter. The MCAS scores, however, represent one portion of what our students can accomplish. The small amount of time (relatively) taking the tests is a mere snapshot in the photo album of your child’s accomplishments.

Your child’s success or failure with the MCAS should be taken seriously, but not to the exclusion of the other measures of his/her performance, namely informal classroom assessments, writing samples, teacher observations, homework success, projects and kudos at parent/teacher conferences.

Bottom line, we did well and will do better. The staff at Sutton Elementary has identified the areas of need and interventions will be in place. We are determined that these MCAS scores will not detract from what we know we can do well. So there.

Your child’s welfare should be at the heart of the matter. That is how your child perceives himself/herself, how he/she interacts with others, and how your child engages with learning. Does your child see school as a welcoming challenge or day-to-day drudgery? Are your child’s interactions with others positive ones? Does your child see learning as interactive and ongoing? These are the questions that are important to us. We take these questions to heart.

The MCAS test happens but once a year, but the opportunities for your child’s success occur on a daily basis.