101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 345, Walnut Creek 925-948-8992 www.halstromacademy.org

Curriculum Corner: MAP Testing

Our campus recently wrapped up the Fall MAP Testing window with our full-time students. As we begin to analyze students’ results, we are reminded of how valuable the testing platform is for our students! Here are a few reasons why:

MAP Testing measures the incredible growth our students make at Halstrom Academy. The RIT scale measures student achievement and growth. It is an equal-interval scale, like feet and inches, so the scores make it possible to follow a student’s educational growth from test to test and from year to year.

MAP Testing helps our teachers meet the needs of every student. Because the MAP tests give us scores that are accurate and reliable, teachers can use the data to pinpoint where each student is performing and deliver instruction directly related to that performance level.

Normative Data reveals a student’s progress in relation to his or her grade-level peers. By comparing a student’s RIT score to the normative data, we can track how a student is performing in comparison to students in his or her grade level. We can use this information to determine whether a student needs additional support or an advanced course to get the most out of his or her educational experience at Halstrom!

If you have questions about MAP Testing, please contact your Campus Director.

Proin at tortor

Mark Your Calendar

Dec. 1 – Dec. 16

Dec. 19 – Jan. 2

Jan. 11

Jan. 16

Holiday Canned Food Drive

Winter Break

ESLR Awards

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Campus Closed

Closed

Maecenus quis lacus?

Winter 2016

Collage of student artwork

Jan. 18 Regional field trip to the San Francisco Exploratorium

Halstrom Holler – Winter 2016 Page 2

Student Life

We are excited to introduce two new clubs to our campus. Our Media Club meets on Fridays from 12:00-12:50. Students play board games, watch movies, and play video games together. Many of our students have really enjoyed board games, especially the game Sorry.

We also have implemented California Scholarship Federation. CSF is a statewide honor and service organization founded in 1916 by Charles Seymour. To qualify, students must establish and maintain a certain grade point average during one semester to qualify for the following semester and may begin qualifying during the 1st semester of freshman year. We will be evaluating all 9th-12th grade students’ Fall GPA’s to see who may qualify for Spring membership. Students will be notified by the Campus Director if they qualify.

Fall-Winter 2016 Activities

School Pictures

On Feb. 8th, a professional photographer will be on campus to take photos of all of our students. These photos will be available for purchase and will be used in our yearbook. Parents will be able to purchase photos online through the photographer’s website and yearbooks will go on sale in March and be distributed in May.

Students may wear whatever they would like for pictures, as long as dress code is followed. Seniors will have the option of wardrobe change if desired.

Field Trip to the Museums

On October 19th, the students from the Walnut Creek, San Mateo and Cupertino campuses joined together to go to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Winchester Mystery House. Students learned about mummification and other Egyptian practices at the Rosicrucian and were particularly interested in the Pharaoh’s tomb. At the Winchester Mystery House, they were able to visit the formerly hidden room where Sarah Winchester was trapped during the San Francisco1906 Earthquake.

Holiday Food Drive

The students of Halstrom Academy – Walnut Creek are currently collecting food for the Contra Costa Solano Food Banks. The Food Bank is asking for donations of non-perishable boxed and canned foods. Of particular interest is peanut butter, soups, beans, tuna or other canned meats, canned vegetables and fruit, pasta and pasta sauces. All donations can be placed in the food barrel located in the lobby or brought to campus.