Andrew Gerlach
  • Dear DBES Families,
     
    Wishing you all a happy spring as we are already halfway through April! We are quickly approaching our end of year assessments, many which determine our students’ promotion to next grades and our overall school grade for the year. Though our teachers and students have worked so very hard for the last 9 months, these last few weeks are crucial and you, as parents, play a critical role.
     
    Our scheduled testing dates are as follows:
     
    Kindergarten – Reading on Tuesday (4/22) and Math on Thursday (4/24)
     
    1st Grade - Reading on Tuesday (4/22) and Math on Thursday (4/24)
     
    2nd Grade – Reading on Wednesday (4/23) and Math on Tuesday (4/29)
     
    3rd Grade – Reading on Tuesday (5/6) and Math on Tuesday (5/13)
     
    4th Grade – Reading on Wednesday (5/7) and Math on Wednesday (5/14)
     
    5th Grade – Reading on Thursday (5/8), Math on Thursday (5/15), and Science on Tuesday (5/20)
     
    We are aware Take your Child to Work day is on Thursday, 4/24, but this event is for students ages 8 and up so it should not impact our kindergarten and 1st grade students.
     
    Prior to testing, there are some important ways you can best help your child and our teachers:
     
    Please keep a normal sleep cycle. During the next few weekends (and school days) please make sure your child gets to sleep at a reasonable time so they can get enough rest.
     
    Please monitor your child’s device (phone/tablet/gaming) usage and make sure they don’t go to bed with them.
     
    Please get your child to school on time. They will already be a little nervous heading into these testing days. Reduce your child’s stress, do not increase it.
     
    If your child eats breakfast, please make sure they eat their usual breakfast. Testing days are NOT the days to treat them to sugary, sweet treats. They will end up jacked up with sugary energy and then will crash right in the middle of the test. Trust me…13 years of doing this… we see it happen every year with a student bringing in a “Dunkin” or “Krispy Kreme” treat….
     
    It is now too late to “cram” for the exam….but you can help! Have your child read nightly for 30 minutes. For intermediate grades, have them complete an i-ready lesson a night.
     
    Finally, the night before the test, do nothing but relax and breathe. Make sure to give your kids tons of love and make sure they end their night and start their morning on a good note.
     
    Thank you in advance for following these supportive steps that will definitely “best prep” our kids for their upcoming FAST assessments!
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Mr. Drew Gerlach, The Proud Principal of Deerfield Beach Elementary School