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ooks, breakfast and Spanish go together at Confluence Academy-

South City like paper, pencils and learning.

On the first Tuesday and Thursday of the month, students and parents who speak Spanish as their native language read together and enjoy breakfast before the school day starts. From 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., moms, dads, sons, daughters, and even younger siblings, spend time reading bilingual books during Leyendo con la Familia.

Robert Greenhaw, English Speakers of Other Languages

coordinator, explained that the literacy program started as parent outreach to Hispanic families.

“Sometimes, parents feel isolated and do not visit the school or communicate with school staff as much as our parents who speak English as their native language.

“Leyendo is a way for parents to visit the school and feel welcomed, and hopefully, they’ll

get to know some of the school staff,” he said.

Parents and students in grades PreK-2, located in the Compton building, are invited to read together on the

first Tuesday of the month. Grades 3-8, located in the Meramec building, read together on the first Thursday of the month.

Greenhaw outlined three reasons why Leyendo is important:

1. Improves literacy in English and Spanish.

2. When reading is valued at home by the parents, students are more likely to read at home.

3. Shows Hispanic families that their native language is valued.

Language and literacy at CA-South City Leyendo con Familia brings culture to life

Robert Greenhaw,

ESOL coordinator,

reads to students

during Leyendo con la

Familia at Confluence

Academy-South City.

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Fresh approach to Confluence commitment to stronger schools and more successful students Dear Confluence Families: In the last three months, it’s been my honor to meet the students, families and staff of Confluence Charter Schools. I’ve seen the dedication and talent that our staff gives to children every day. We have more than 3,200 students whose families made the choice of Confluence Charter Schools and Grand Center Arts Academy for their education. Every family deserves a quality education, and we’re committed to providing it to ours.

Since early January, I’ve spent time in classrooms, in schools and in staff meetings to observe, listen and learn. I’ve looked at academic performance data from past years and discovered our strengths and weaknesses. Confluence has made steady, yet slow progress toward student achievement. Our staff is committed to our students, and the Board of Directors is committed to strengthening our schools.

There are many ways you can expect to see change:

• Advanced Placement classes • A biomedical track; enhanced science,

technology, engineering and math • Dual-enrollment and dual-credit

programs with local colleges and universities

• Internships for juniors and seniors • Expanding career-technical education • Project-based learning, small group

instruction • Makerspace and design-thinking to

foster creativity in students • Social-emotional curriculum • New textbooks It’s spring, and that means our students are ready for the Missouri Assessment Program and End-of-Course exams. Students in grades 3-8 who attend public schools and public charter schools take a series of tests focused on English language arts and

math. Students in grades 5 and 8 are also tested in science. High school students take EOC exams in English II, Algebra I, Biology and Government. The test window is April 3 - May 31.

Parents, MAP and EOC exams are important for academic success and for the future of Confluence. We need your help to prepare your child for testing. In this edition of Confluence Connections, we’ve included 10 tips for parents to help you do your best for your children during testing.

We are proud of the class of 2017! Confluence Preparatory Academy and Grand Center Arts Academy will celebrate their seniors with commencement ceremonies. CPA will graduate its sixth class in school history. Grand Center Arts Academy will graduate its second senior class. We’re proud of the many accomplishments of our students and their plans after high school. Our kindergarten

and eighth grade students will also experience graduation celebrations. Please look at the enclosed calendar for details.

Enjoy the newsletter and take pride in the achievements of our students, our staff and our schools. Thank you for choosing Confluence Charter Schools for your child’s education.

Sincerely,

Candice Carter-Oliver, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer

CEO

’SLE

TTER Mission Statement

Confluence Charter Schools provides the highest quality public education for our students. Every day, students are engaged and encouraged to excel in reading, math, science, technology, visual arts and performing arts.

Vision Statement Confluence Charter Schools will provide a world–class public education to prepare our students for success in college, career and life.

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Simply put – if you are able to read and demonstrate comprehension skills in Spanish, it makes it easier to demonstrate and learn the same skills in English.

“It’s been shown that students who read at home for just 20 minutes a day do far better on standardized tests than students who only read at school,” said Greenhaw.

“In the past, teachers held the mindset that speaking in Spanish will hinder a student’s ability to learn English skills. We really want to change that and send the message that literacy in any language is valuable. Although our school is held accountable for a student’s achievement in English-based academics, we still recognize that learning in the native language is important and will lead to more success when they’re able to transfer those skills to English.”

The ESOL program received a grant from Friends of Confluence for Spanish-English bilingual books. The majority of students who are English Language Learners speak Spanish.

Leyendo con la Familia is supported with Title III funds to buy food for the sessions, and to cover the cost of printing bilingual books from a website, readconamigo.org. The printed books are given to students who attend the event, and to all Spanish-speaking students in grades K-5.

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STATE COMPETITION

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Grand Center Arts Academy choir is advancing to state competition, April 29, at University of Missouri-Columbia. In early March, at Large Ensemble competition, Camerata Choir earned a 1-Exemplary rating. The Concert Choir Men, Concert Choir Treble and Advanced Treble Choir scored 2-Outstanding ratings. For solos and small ensembles, several students earned high scores to advance as

well. Overall, 23 students who earned a high score of 1 will compete at MU as soloists and in small ensembles. Soloists include Tess Brown, Sarah Burke, Zach Clawges, Lainey Jester, Gabby Jordan, Rachel Mueller, Preather Preuitt. Small ensembles include Elijah Bivins, Riley Brawn, Tess Brown, Zach Clawges, Reggie Coleman, Chase Doctor, Mady Evans, Kyree Hamilton, Ian Intagliata, Lainey Jester, Abby Jordan, Gabby Jordan, Caroline Knapp, Alex Lenhardt, Rachel Mueller, Patra

Patton, Preather Preuitt, Tyler Reed-Ingram, Lillian Selligman, Hannah Stern, DeTony Thomas, Isaac Zimmerman.

InspireSTL accepted 10 seventh-grade students from Confluence Academy-South City for its upcoming session. InspireSTL “provides high-potential scholars who are at-risk with rigorous academic support to help them emerge as next-generation leaders.” Students are accepted in seventh-grade. The program begins summer 2017 and continues through their college experience. South City students include Rochelle Varela Bahen, Joseph Harris, Derrick Bunting, Jr., Andrea Carcamo, Tania Whitley, Naomi Rojas, Vernon Young III, Anthony Peters, Abdulmajid Daher, Jayla Jones.

Missouri Boys State accepted juniors Ryan Pitts and Dishon Lewis of Confluence Preparatory Academy for its 2017 session. They will join their peers at the 78th annual Missouri Boys State government and leadership program from June 17-June 24 at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The program is coordinated by the American Legion. It’s described as “a hands-on experience in the operation and fundamentals of government,” that welcomes “the best and brightest high school juniors to help lead them down the path of individual success and leadership through doing, not just learning.”

Missouri Fine Arts Academy accepted six students from Grand Center Arts Academy. The three-week summer residential program is designed for “highly motivated student artists” in visual arts, theatre,

dance, creative writing and music. GCAA students include Lainey Jester, vocal music, 10th grade; and juniors Kumari Pacheco, creative writing; Clare Whyte, visual arts; Raven Schad, dance; Evie BoyerHeagle, creative writing; and Everett Schoenke, visual arts. MFAA is June 4-June 24 at Missouri State University in Springfield. The program is free to those who are accepted to attend; and they qualify for three-hours of college credit at no additional cost.

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Hoops help raising awareness with fun and games For three years, the basketball teams at Confluence Preparatory Academy have dedicated a home game to raise awareness of breast cancer. The annual Pink Out games have led to donations to Komen Missouri and American Cancer Society to help women in the St. Louis region. In the first two years, the Titans raised $400 at each Pink Out game.

This year, the Titans stepped up their efforts to raise $1,000. Through dress down days for students and staff, support from student government, ticket sales at the game, and a donation box on game night, the Titans gave $500 to each organization in support of breast cancer awareness and advocacy.

What’s the value of $500? For Komen, it means five mammograms for women who otherwise may not get the screening for breast cancer. Or, it covers the cost of 15 lymphedema compression sleeves. Lymphedema is a condition that can be caused by a result of cancer or cancer treatments. A donation of $500 pays for 20 gas cards to help provide transportation to medical appointments. Or, it can help toward the cost of a nurse navigator who guides breast cancer patients through the continuum of care.

“The possibilities are endless,” said Helen Chesnut, executive director, Susan G. Komen Missouri.

For the American Cancer Society, $500 helps a breast cancer patient and a caregiver with five nights of free lodging at a Hope Lodge community. Some patients have to leave home for effective treatment, and the lodge provides a place to stay. The donation can help provide one-on-one support from a trained volunteer breast cancer survivor, or it can help with research for a participant in a cancer prevention study.

“We are so thankful for the donation from Confluence Preparatory Academy. Donations and awareness efforts such as these are helping the Society save lives, celebrate lives and lead the fight for a world without cancer,” said Christine Winter, director, division communication, American Cancer Society.

Prepping UMSL program gets students college ready Preparing for college means putting in the work as a high school student, even on weekends.

This year, students from Confluence Preparatory Academy and Grand Center Arts Academy participated in the University of Missouri-St. Louis Bridge Program’s Saturday Academy. Students attend math, science, writing skills, career and personal development and college prep classes at the UMSL campus. The sessions are held the first two Saturdays of each month from October through March. The Bridge Program provides college support services to more than 600 high school students each year.

Congratulations to the students who participated this year: Jocelin Berra, 10th grade, GCAA Colin Bradford, 10th grade, CPA Amaya Bristol, 11th grade, CPA Angel Dorsey, 10th grade, CPA Charity Dorsey-Davis, 12th grade, CPA Dakota Foster, 10th grade, CPA Alexis Foster, 9th grade, CPA Sophie Iffrig, 11th grade, GCAA MaKayla McGruder, 12th grade, GCAA MaLiyah McGruder, 10th grade, GCAA Aniyah Robinson, 9th grade, GCAA Chastity Smith, 12th grade, GCAA Lucy Ward, 10th grade, GCAA Tobias Wells, 12th grade, GCAA Shanetta Williams, 10th grade, GCAA Tonia Williams, 10th grade, GCAA

For 30 years, the Bridge Program has served students in the St. Louis area by offering

comprehensive, year-round, college access services to middle and high school students from public and private schools. The Bridge Program has earned national recognition

from College Board for outstanding college access services to the St. Louis community. For more details: umsl.edu/precollegiate

Pomp and Circumstance Confluence Academy graduation ceremonies Confluence Charter Schools is proud to celebrate the success of students who are graduating from high school, and those advancing from kindergarten and middle school. Please join us in celebrating their achievements. May 15 Confluence Preparatory Academy

Class of 2017 Graduation*

6:00 p.m. Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Bldg.

Harris-Stowe State University *Tickets required

May 19 Elite Academy at CPA

Eighth Grade Graduation

12:00 p.m. Confluence Preparatory Academy Gym

Confluence Academy-Old North Sixth Grade Certificate Ceremony

1:00 p.m.

CA-Old North Gym

May 21 Grand Center Arts Academy

Class of 2017 Graduation* 3:00 p.m.

Sun Theater at Grand Center Arts Academy** *Tickets required

May 23

Confluence Academy-Old North Kindergarten Graduation

10:00 a.m.

Sun Theater at Grand Center Arts Academy

May 24

Aspire Academy Kindergarten Celebrations*

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.,

Annex Cafeteria*Times to be announced by classroom teachers.

Confluence Academy-South City Kindergarten Graduation

10:00 a.m.

CA-South City, Meramec Gym

Eighth Grade Graduation 5:30 p.m.

CA-South City, Meramec Gym

**Sun Theater at Grand Center Arts Academy is located at 3627 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103

� CC Spring 20175

Loreal Wilhite, second-grade lead teacher at Aspire Academy, is featured in promotional TV ads for Alive and Well STL. Confluence Charter Schools is a partner with Alive & Well STL for trauma-informed learning, practices and wellness for staff and students. To see the clip, check out Alive and Well STL’s YouTube channel.

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SPOTLIGHT ON TEACHERS From serving as ambassadors to earning awards, Confluence teachers are making an impact

Brandon Riley, theatre arts teacher at Grand Center Arts Academy, is nominated for an award from Arts for Life. This summer, the nonprofit will host its 18th Annual Best Performance Awards for Community Musical Theatre. Mr. Riley is nominated for Best Direction of a Youth Musical Production for ‘Oliver!’ by St. Louis Summer Players. The ceremony is June 11 at 2:00 p.m. at Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School. Trophies will be presented in 33 categories; more than 1,338 participants were eligible for nominations.

Travis Armknecht, English and journalism teacher at Grand Center Arts Academy, is a 2017 Rising Star, selected by the Journalism Education Association. He is among 10 scholastic media advisers from across the country being recognized for their work at the JEA/National Scholastic Press Association conference in Seattle on April 8.

Christine Nobbe, instructional coach at Grand Center Arts Academy, is a recipient of the 2017 Challenger Learning Center’s Inspiring Teacher Award. She is among seven educators from the area who received honors for their mission to inspire the future generation of innovators. The awards were presented in late January at University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Board news upcoming meeting dates* Friday, April 28, 8:00 a.m. Confluence Academy-South City 3112 Meramec Street

Thursday, May 25, 5:30 p.m. Resource Office, Confluence Charter Schools 611 N. 10th Street, Ste. 525

Thursday, June 22, 5:30 p.m. (Annual Meeting) Confluence Preparatory Academy 310 N. 15th Street

* Meeting dates, locations and times are subject to change. Please check the calendar on the Confluence Charter Schools website for updates –www.confluenceacademy.org

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The Missouri Assessment Program is an annual test for students in grades 3-8. Every spring, students who attend public schools and public charter schools are tested in English language arts and math. Students in grades 5 and 8 are also tested in science. High school students take End-of-Course exams in English II, Algebra I, Biology and Government. MAP and EOC exams are required by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Parents can help prepare students for success on MAP and EOC exams with these 10 tips, adapted from suggestions from our school leaders and DESE. Tip #1: Read, Read, Read! Reading takes skill and practice. One of the best and simplest steps to improve reading ability is to provide sustained periods of time for children to read. Tip #2: Help your child to read like a writer. Even in the early grades, children can begin to "get into the head" of the author. Reading improves a child's writing, and writing improves a child's reading. Tip #3: Read a variety of books and magazines. MAP English language arts tests have short stories, poems, dialogues, magazine articles, charts and tables. Students need to be able to read a wide variety, ranging from road signs to restaurant menus, comic books to classics, and from tennis shoe ads to computer manuals. Tip #4: Build your child's reading stamina. To build reading stamina, encourage your child to increase gradually the amount of time she reads at one sitting. Include short breaks, such as stretching or closing her eyes for a minute. Set individual reading goals based upon doing her best. Tip #5: Teach your child that visuals are part of the text. Students are often required to look for information in photos, captions, drawings, charts and graphs. You can help by teaching your child to look at all of these materials as part of the total text. Tip #6: Help your child know how to use text-based support in written responses. Most of the constructed-response items on the MAP assessments have two parts or require an explanation or showing how you arrived at an answer. Students only get partial credit for answers to questions that aren’t supported with specific details or that don’t have an explanation. Tip #7: Teach your child to identify all parts of a question. Teach your child to identify exactly what each question is asking. Some questions have multiple parts, which are often combined into a single sentence with a one question mark at the end. Students should underline each question word (who, what, when, where, why, how and any other

MAP, EOC Test Tips for Parents 10 tips to prepare your child for success!

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word or phrase that indicates a question). By doing so, she can see if a question has multiple parts. Not answering all parts of a multi-part question is a common error. Tip #8: Teach your child to paraphrase test items, turning questions into statements. Teach your child to turn questions into statements. Underline the question words as described above, and then turn each part of the item into a statement. For example, the question "Why did the main character play with the ball?" can be rephrased as "The main character played with the ball because ..." This practice allows your child to phrase the question in a way that makes the most sense to him. Then, he’s ready to read the passage and look for answers. Tip #9: What can you do to help your child on test days?

• Be aware of the test schedule. Find out which days and times are planned for tests at your child’s school.

• Be on time for school, and be at school every day. Attendance during MAP and EOC exams is important.

• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and good nights’ sleep throughout testing. • Make sure your child eats a good breakfast so he can concentrate and focus. • Avoid scheduling appointments that can be done at a later date. • If your school allows it, make sure your child has a book to read when the test session is

complete. • Be prepared with two or more No. 2 pencils, not mechanical pencils. Even though the

test is taken on a computer, your child may need pencils to write on scratch paper. Tip #10: Have a positive attitude! Be encouraging! Adapted from the Practical Parenting Partnerships by Laura Schwab and the 2001 MAP Class 6 Team. If you have any questions about MAP or EOC, dates and times for your child, please call the school office or talk to the teacher(s). Thank you for supporting your child and Confluence Charter Schools!

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August

15 First Day of School

September

4 Labor Day, No School

11 Professional Development, No School

October

9 Professional Development, No School

27 Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School

November

10 Veterans Day, No School

22-24 Thanksgiving Holiday, No School

December

21 Recordkeeping Day, No School

22 - 1 January Winter Break, No School

January

2 Professional Development, No School

3 School Resumes

15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School

February

16 Professional Development, No School

19 Presidents Day, No School

March

23 Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School

26 – 30 Spring Break, No School

April

13 Professional Development, No School

May

19 Graduation – Confluence Preparatory Academy, Grand Center Arts Academy

22 Early Dismissal, Gr. 9-12 ONLY

23 Early Dismissal, Gr. 9-12 ONLY

24 Recordkeeping Day, No School

25 – 4 June Make Up Days**

28 Memorial Day, No School

June

5 Summer Session 1 Begins, Grades K-8

28 Summer Session 1 Ends, Grades K-8

July

4 Independence Day, No School

** These are make-up days and will be used if school is canceled for any reason, including weather.

All dates are subject to change if school is canceled for any reason, including weather. * Early Dismissal hours to be announced