In September, students in grades

2—8 sat for the first of three Scholastic

Reading Inventory (SRI) assessments.

(The second & third administration of

the SRI will take place in January and

May of 2015). The SRI is a reading

assessment program which provides

data on students' reading levels and

growth over time. SRI helps educators

differentiate instruction, make

meaningful interventions, forecast

growth toward grade-level state tests,

and demonstrate accountability. Each

SRI score is accompanied by a lexile

level. The Lexile level gives a

student’s approximate reading level.

On Friday October 10, your child will

bring home Fall Data Briefs. This

document contains your child’s

individual SRI score and lexile level.

Visit Lexile.com to help your child

find books that are just right for him or

her to read.

Here are the SRI results for grades

3-6:

Scholastic Reading Inventory

Proficiency Report

Fall 2014

Grade Group Averages:

AJA Reading Fal ls Into Place

Andrew Jackson

Academy

PreK-8

3500 Regency Pkwy

Forestville, MD 20747

301-817-0310

301-817-0339 (fax)

Dr. Veonca Richardson,

Principal

Mr. Dana Doggett,

Asst Principal

Dr. Dorothy McCullum,

Asst Principal

http://www1.pgcps.org/

andrewjackson

In this issue:

SRI Scores 1

Calendar 2

Computer Needs 2

MySchoolBucks 2

College Fair 2

Parent Sign In 3

AJA Round Up 3

Pizza Hut Book It 3

PBIS 4

Parent Academy 5

App Attack! 5

Around PGCPS 6

Andrew Jackson Academy October 2014 Volume 2, Issue 2

T h e R o a r i n g J a g u a r

Grade Group Averages:

Percentages of students reading at the

proficient or advanced level:

Grade 3: 36%

Grade 4: 33%

Grade 5: 56%

Grade 6: 53%

Grade 7: 56%

Grade 8: 54%

Scholastic Reading Inventory

Comparison Data

For more information about your

child’s SRI results or his or her Lexile

level, please see child’s reading teacher

or contact your reading specialist:

Grades K-3: Ms. Barber

(marilyn.barber@pgcps.org),

Grades 4-8: Ms. Spencer

jerrise.spencer@pgcps.org

6th Annual College &

Career Fair Hosted by

Congresswoman

Donna Edwards

Saturday, October 18, 2014

8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Annapolis High School

2700 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401

High School & Middle School Students Plan for Future Success

with experts from U.S. Department of Education and others. Learn about:

FREE Money for College

ON-THE-SPOT ADMISSIONS

ON-THE-SPOT SCHOLARSHIPS

Winning College Applications

Resumes/Cover Letters

Trade & Technical Programs

21st Century Top Careers

Admission is FREE!!! For more information visit www.DONNAEDWARDS.HOUSE.GOV or call 301-516-7601

Oct 6: Baseball Game vs

Ernest Just (Home, 5pm)

Oct 7: PTA Meeting, 6:30pm

Oct 8: Baseball& Softball

Games vs Gholson (Home)

Oct 9: First Quarter Progress Reports Re-

leased

Oct 9: Strand I Parent Academy, 6pm-7pm

Oct 10: PINK OUT—All students can wear

pink with their khaki pants (shirts, socks,

shoes)

Oct 10: PTA Pink Out Dance: Pre K - 4th:

12:55pm, 5th-8th: 2pm

Oct 13: Men Make a Difference Day

Oct 13: Baseball & Softball Games vs Ket-

tering (Away)

Oct 17: MSEA Convention – Schools

Closed for Students and Teachers

Oct 30: 1st Cup of Coffee

Oct 31: Professional Development – 2-Hr.

Early Dismissal for Students

Nov 3: Grading/Teacher Planning - Schools

Closed for Students

Nov 4: General Election Day - Schools &

Offices CLOSED

For the full 2014-15 PGCPS calendar, visit:

http://www1.pgcps.org/calendar/

#sthash.Bsst0PCo.dpuf

MYSCHOOLBUCKS PAYMENT PORTAL NOW OPEN !!!

MySchooBucks is an online payment service that provides parents the ability to securely pay for meals, monitor stu-dent cafeteria purchases, make tuition payments for Before and After School Extended Learning programs, and re-ceive email notifications for low account balances. Effective July 1, the Depart-ment of Food & Nutrition Services no longer accepts personal checks.

With MySchoolBucks, payments can be made 24/7 using a Visa, MasterCard, Discover credit card, or debit card. Remaining balances from the 2013-2014 school year will be available for use in the 2014-2015 school year under the new payment portal system.

Enrollment is now open:

Effective Monday, August 25 you will be able to create your MySchoolBucks ac-count. To create your MySchool-Bucks account, go to www.myschoolbucks.com .

Is Your Household In Need

of a Computer? • Do you receive any kind of public assis-

tance? OR

• Do you currently work with a social worker or case manager?

OR

• Do you currently receive Social Security Disability Income?

If you can answer YES to at least one of these questions, you may qualify for a $25 refurbished Windows 7 desktop computer bundle from Phoenix Computers (http://www.phoenixcomputers.info/) For More Information, contact Ms. Janetta Mason, Transforming Neigh-borhood Initiative Coordinator, Andrew Jackson Academy, 301-817-0310

K eepin g our A J A Fam ily Safe & S ec ure :

I n t roduc ing R aptor Tech

I n o r d e r t o b e t t e r p r o t e c t o u r s t u d e n t s,

v i s i t o r s, a n d s t a f f , a l l v i s i t o r s m u s t r e -

p o r t d i r e c t ly t o t h e m a i n o f f i c e a n d w i l l b e r e q u i r e d t o s h ow a v a l i d , gov e r n m e n t -

i s s u e d I D . R ap t o r i n s t a n t ly s c r e e n s o u t

r e g i s t e r e d s e x o f f e n d e r s f r o m c a m p u s e s

w i t h c h i l d r e n wh i l e m a n a g i n g c u s t o dy i s -

s u e s, v i s i t o r s, s t u d e n t s, f a c u l t y a n d vo l -

u n t e e r s. O ve r 1 1 , 0 0 0 s c h o o l s a n d f a c i l i -

t i e s n a t i o n w i d e a l r e a dy r e ly o n R ap t o r ' s

we b - b a s e d t e c h n o l o g y t o ke ep s t u d e n t s

s a f e .

Recycling Comes to AJA!

AJA, will begin its recy-

cling program shortly!

To help teach our stu-

dents about their roles

& responsibilities,

Mr. Collins, Elementary Science Co-

ordinator, is planning a series of field

trips to the Materials Recovery Facili-

ty (MRF) in Upper Marlboro, MD. To

see how all of this works, watch this

video: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=7CFE5tD1CCI

Pizza Hut Book It Turns 30 this year

& all students in grades K—6 are in-

vited to the party!!! In 5th grade, all

students that read 30 minutes a

night for 15 week nights a month

(& complete their book report

project) will receive a coupon for a

FREE personal pan size pizza from

Pizza Hut!! Now THAT’S how you

celebrate the big 3-0!

PBIS stands for positive behavioral interven-

tions and supports. There are three main components

of PBIS. They are teaching appropriate behavior in

hall settings, providing interventions when behavior

expectations are not met, and recognizing students

when behavior expectations are met.

PBIS is a team based school-wide design for discipline which includes all students and all staff in all

settings. It is a program that can be upgraded as we go along to better meet the needs of our stu-

dent population by using the results of surveys completed by students, parents, and staff and the

analysis of discipline data.

PBIS at Andrew Jackson has 5 core values:

Respectful-includes following directions, keeping hands and feet to yourself, using appropriate lan-

guage, and raising your hand

Organized and Prepared – dress in appropriate uniform, bringing all necessary materials to school

and each class, keeping all materials in personal space

Accepting of Self and Others – using kind words, waiting turn, working cooperatively with others,

being aware of personal space

Responsible-some examples are actively participating, carrying a valid hall pass, and using equipment

appropriately

Safe-includes walking on the right hand side of the hallway, entering and exiting the building in an

orderly fashion, and reporting any incidents.

Students are expected to honor these core values in various school and school related settings in-

cluding the classroom, hallways, library, cafeteria, bathrooms, buses and school grounds.

The focus of this program is acknowledging and rewarding students for consistent positive behavior.

The Jaguar Ticket serves as positive behavior recognition to encourage our students to consistently

demonstrate PBIS’s core values. Earned Jaguar Tickets will be redeemed during weekly and monthly

incentives. Recognition also occurs at each individual grade level through the use of peace days-a

day in which there are no office referrals that disrupt the peace in the school. The program does

not only recognize students, but staff are acknowledged as well for noticing positive student behav-

ior. Students not following the core values are issued consequences based on our student response

system which list the steps of consequences for each time a behavior infraction occurs.

Fun Brain Jr.

Read Me Stories

Spelling Test Free

Best Books for Tweens

Sight Words for Reading

On Monday, September 8th, 11 parents joined us at

the Parent PALS Academy Kick-off Orientation to

learn more information about the academy. Don’t

worry if you missed the orientation, you can still join

the academy. Simply contact the school and let us

know that you are interested and we will get you

signed up. Our first strand began on Thursday, Octo-

ber 2nd.

Strand 1— Developing the 21st Century Learner

Thursday, October 2, 2014—6:00—7:30 pm

LEARNING IN THE MODERN TECHNOLO-

GY AGE: Part 1: This course will allow parents the

opportunity to explore how students learn in the

modern technology age. It will equip parents with

knowledge of the most current technolo-

gies available (such as iPads, chrome books, web 2.0)

to facilitate learning;

LOVING TO LEARN LITERACY

Research shows the seeds of reading and school suc-

cess are sown in the home. Listening to stories en-

courages imagination, interest and language acquisition

in your child. Come and learn how to promote litera-

cy in your own home

Thursday, October 9, 2014—6:00—7:30 pm

LEARNING IN THE MODERN TECHNOLO-

GY AGE: Part 1I: This course will allow parents the

opportunity to explore how students learn in the

modern technology age. It will equip parents with

knowledge of the most current technolo-

gies available to facilitate learning; it further seeks to

inform parents how they can use this technology in

their homes to create and/or improve a learning envi-

ronment that will support 21st century skills.

NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, OH MY!

and MAKING MATH MEANINGFUL

Is your child bringing home math that looks different

from what you did? Do you want to see how it works

in the classroom? You will experience some fabulous

strategies to help your child understand math con-

cepts. With all of the new math standards, the way we

teach has changed. Come and learn how to help your

child at home.

FMI: http://www1.pgcps.org/communications/press.aspx?id=199209

ATTENTION!

ALL PARENTS WITH IEP’S, 504 PLANS OR

ADA COMPLIANCE CONCERNS WE WANT

TO HEAR FROM YOU!

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE SPECIAL EDU-

CATION IN PGCPS?

PLEASE COME OUT AND LET YOUR VOIC-

ES BE HEARD AT 3 SPECIAL EDUCATION

LISTENING SESSIONS

Sponsored by Edward Burroughs III (District 8),

Peggy Higgins, LCSW-C (District 2) & Verjeana

Jacobs, Esq. (District 5)

The PGCPS Special Education Department, Spe-

cial Education Citizens Advisory Council

(SECAC) & the Disability Issues Advisory Board

(DIAB) will be represented at each session.

Session 1: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 @ 6:30 P.M.

Crossland High School ~ 6901 Temple Hills

Road Temple Hills, MD 20748

Session 2: Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, 6:30 P.M.

Greenbelt Middle School ~ 6301 Breezewood

Drive Greenbelt, MD 20770

Session 3: Monday, Nov. 10, 2014 @ 6:30 P.M.

Tall Oaks Vocational High School ~ 2112

Church Road Bowie, MD 20716

RSVP to the Board of Education Office at

301.952.6115