Message from the Middle School Principal

Preparing for Conference Day

For each middle school grade, conference days are handled differently. For example, not all fifth graders will require a parent-teacher conference and for older grades, the student takes a central role in the preparation and the conference itself.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me, and I look forward to seeing you on conference day. Here is a summary of what to expect in your child's grade.

• 5th Grade: This conference day is not intended for all parents, and your child’s teacher will contact you if he or she feels that a meeting is necessary. Please be assured that if your child’s teacher does not contact you, your child is doing satisfactory work and there is no need for a conference at this time. Of course, you should always feel free to contact your child’s homeroom teacher at any time if you have a question or concern.
• 6th Grade: All advisors will be arranging their own meeting times with parents and guardians. Please be alert for sign-up forms, which will arrive home via your child.
• 7th Grade: The active role your child played in the fall will continue with the second conference. Leading up to conference day, advisors will work with students to prepare them for the conference. Students will confer and plan with their advisors and be prepared to discuss their performance, including their strengths and areas in need of improvement. Additionally, students will present their strategies for addressing the areas that need to be improved. Your child’s advisor will be in touch with you about scheduling a meeting time.
• 8th Grade: Your child's advisor will be in touch with you about scheduling a specific meeting time, and we are again asking for students to participate in this conference. Their participation is extremely important, as the meeting will focus not only on your child's academic progress, but also on the transition into high school.

Prior to conference day, students will meet with U-High Principal Matthew Horvat to review the U-High Program of Studies booklet (pdf) and the course registration form. Time will be set aside for students to talk with their advisors and faculty about a projected course of study for ninth grade, and this material will come home. The same discussions should take place with family as well.

On February 8, when the student, family and advisor meet, decisions can then be made regarding course load for freshman year.

More About the Comprehensive Testing Program

Recently, students participated in a testing program called the Comprehensive Testing Program or CTP 4, obtained from the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). The CTP 4 is a battery of assessments that measure skills in reading, vocabulary, writing and mathematics. It consists of a series of multiple-choice and open-ended question tests, and is administered to our students over the course of several days.

This test is a reasoning/achievement test that ERB makes available to the more than 1,600 schools, public and independent, across the country. It is a challenging test designed to distinguish learning among students at the highest level. The test results allow us as a school to evaluate our academic program in relation to other schools, as well as determine how best to support our student’s individual learning needs.

Please keep in mind that standardized testing is only a portion of the student profile. Daily classroom performance, activities, and leadership are qualities that also reflect a child’s overall school performance.

If you have questions about the test itself, information can be found on the ERB website. If you have questions specifically about your middle schooler's results, please contact our testing coordinator, Dr. Frances Moore-Bond at 773-834-3428. For information about the implications of the result for your child please contact Ms. Susan Eisenberg, Middle School learning consultant, 773-834-0033, or Ms. Sylvia Aschliman, Middle School counselor, 773-834-0255.

Amani Reed
Middle School Principal

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