Gettysburg Area Middle School

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Winter weather is hopefully behind us as we look forward to a rise in the tempera-tures, no more snow and a lift in our spirits with the arrival of spring! In April and May, GAMS will participate in PSSA testing. All GAMS students will take the English Language Arts and Mathematics PSSA tests. Eighth grade will also com-plete Science testing. Even though we have faced some challenges and obstacles this school year, we are encouraging our students to give their best effort on the assess-ments as they will provide important data to help us prepare for next year. As parents, you can help by making sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast. When possible, please avoid scheduling appointments for your child during testing. Research has shown the more consistent the routine, the bet-ter a student performs. We appreciate your support!

While we will continue our instruction and focus on student learning, there are plans in the works to end the year with some fun and exciting activities that bring students and staff together! Now more than ever, we need to take care of each oth-er and not lose sight of the importance of relationships. Thank you, families, for supporting your children and our entire GAMS staff.

Mrs. Nancy Herb Principal

GAMS Office Hours

7:00 a.m.— 3:30 p.m.

Mrs. Valerie Swogger Mr. Jason Musser 7th Grade Middle School Counselors 6th Grade

8th Grade (A-K) 8th Grade (L-Z)

Reminder to 8th grade students and families:

Students should have already completed their scheduling requests for 9th-grade electives. If they haven't already done so, they should complete the Google form, which is located on your child's Canvas page (the Canvas course is title 8th grade scheduling). The Google form will close on April 6.

Dealing with Test Anxiety:

With PSSA testing coming up, you may notice that your child is exhibiting some signs of test anxie-ty. Test anxiety is the worried, nervous or scared feeling that happens when it is time to take a test. Stu-dents might experience headaches, a nervous stomach, or quickened breathing. They also might have negative thoughts like "I can't do this." Below are some tips to help your child work through these wor-ries:

1. Assure your child that they are prepared for the test. "You got this!"

2. Help your child practice positive self-talk - tell yourself "I can do this." or "I just need to do my best."

3. Practice relaxation and calming strategies such as taking a deep breath and slowing down their breath-ing.

4. Remind them to take the test one question at a time.

5. Plan to have some relaxing fun at the end of the day so they have something to look forward to.

Community Opportunity with Scholarships Available:

The Adams County Arts Council still has openings for their Kid's Dinner Club - a zoom class for chil-dren age 9-13. Interested families might qualify for a scholarship for this program, which would cover the classes, food for the class, and supplemental groceries. Check out this great opportunity here: Kid's Dinner Club. We have information in the guidance office, or you can contact the Arts Council directly (information is on their website).

Phone numbers for family

and emergency contacts are

critical

We must be able to reach parents/guardians and emergency contacts!

When it’s necessary for us to contact you, we count on the names and numbers in Skyward. Please ensure that we have correct information on file for your student. Too often we are unable to reach parents. Voice mailboxes that “have not been set up” or are “full and cannot accept messages” prevent us from reaching parents in a timely manner. We must be able to reach parent(s)/guardians immediately, especially in case of an emergency. Please check your Skyward account to see if you need to make changes. Submit new information via Skyward. Or, you may also call the Guidance Office and provide updated information over the phone. (717) 334-6254, x5168

Thank you!

NOTES FROM THE NURSE

School Vaccination Information for Parents

The Department of Health changed school immunization regulations in August 2017. The regulations are intended to ensure that children attending school in the commonwealth are adequately protected against potential outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.

A CHILD MUST HAVE REQUIRED VACCINES OR RISK EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

A child must have the required medically-appropriate vaccines or a plan to com-plete those vaccines signed by a medical provider or risk exclusion from the first day of school. Talk to your child's pediatrician ASAP about the vaccines your child needs to attend school.

NEW VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

Combination form for diphtheria and tetanus; pertussis vaccination; combination form for measles, mumps and rubella; and meningococcal conjugate vaccine are required for entry into 12th grade, or in an ungraded school, in the school year the child turns 18. See list below.

PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS – Immunize – Don’t Wait, Vaccinate

Children in ALL grades (K-12) need the following immunizations for attendance:

4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis* (1 dose on or after 4th birthday)

4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given)

2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella**

3 doses of hepatitis B

2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity

Seventh through 12th Grade ADDITIONAL immunization requirements for attendance:

2 doses meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) First dose is given 11-15 years of age; a second dose is required at age 16 or entry into 12th grade. If the dose was giv-en at 16 years of age or older, only one dose is required.

1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap)

*Usually given as DTaP or DTP or DT or Td

** Usually given as MMR

Contact your health care provider or the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258). Vaccine information can be found at: www.dontwaitvaccinate.pa.gov

The Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments designed to evaluate proficiency in academic content. Beginning with the class of 2020, students must demonstrate proficiency on the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams to graduate. Students will be offered multiple opportunities to take the Keystones throughout their high school career.

In 2012-2013, the Algebra I, Literature, and Biology Keystone Exams replaced the 11th-grade math, reading, and science for purposes of student, educator, and school accountability. Students should take the Keystone Exams at or near the end of a Keystone-related course. The students' results are banked until their junior year for accountability purposes and until their senior year for graduation purposes. Some students who previously completed a Keystone-related course but did not take the Keystone Exam will also participate for accountability purposes. Additionally, students who take a Keystone Exam and do not score Proficient may re-take the exam.

The Keystone Exams will be administered three times each year-winter, spring, and summer. Specific administration dates will be published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Groups of educators from across Pennsylvania chose the areas of knowledge on which the Keystone Exams are based. The groups included teachers, supervisors, curriculum directors, and college specialists. These groups also reviewed, edited, and approved exam questions.

Pennsylvania adopted the Pennsylvania Core Standards, standards aligned with expectations for success in college and the workplace. The Keystones are designed to measure these standards.

There is no time limit for a student to complete a Keystone Exam. Each Keystone Exam should take the typical student 2 to 3 hours to complete. There are two modules on each test, and each module (or Test Session) of the Keystone Exam should take 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. Districts can administer the Keystone Exam modules across two days or divided across the morning and the afternoon of the same day.

The Keystone Exams are available in both online and paper/pencil formats. Districts will determine if online, paper/pencil, or both formats will be used locally. Makeup exams will also be administered in either online or paper/pencil format.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Tutorials and online training programs have been developed for the Keystone Exams. The PA Online Assessment Student Tutorial uses pictures, motion, and sound to present visual and verbal descriptions of the properties and features of the PA Online Assessment system. Students are allowed to repeat the Student Tutorial as often as desired and needed. The Online Tools Training (OTT) provides an introductory experience using the PA online assessment software allowing students to observe and try out features of the PA online assessment software prior to the actual assessment. Within the OTT, students also have the opportunity to practice typing responses in a narrative format, graphing functions, and entering equations using an equation builder tool. The online exam also has a "Help" feature that is available to the student during the exam.

The Keystone Exams will include multiple-choice questions and constructed-response, or open-ended, questions. For each Keystone Exam, approximately 60 percent to 75 percent of the total score will be from multiple-choice questions and 25 percent to 40 percent of the total score will be from constructed-response questions.

The written responses for constructed-response questions are scored by evaluators trained in applying a pre-determined scoring system. Scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process. Most constructed-response questions require students to show their work or explain their reasoning. These Keystone Exam questions will ask students to explain, analyze, describe, or compare. Some questions will also require students to perform calculations or create graphs, plots, or drawings.

Keystone Exam scores will be processed as quickly as possible and provided to the districts. Two copies of the individual student report for all Keystone Exams will be sent to the school districts and charter schools. One copy should be sent home to parents/guardians; the other is kept by the school/ district. School-level reports will be used for curricular and planning purposes. School districts and charter schools may publish the results of Keystone Exams for each school. The state will also release school-by-school exam data.

signed, and no copies of the Keystone Exams or notes If, after reviewing the Keystone Exams, parents/guardians

do not want their child to participate in one or all of the exams due to a conflict with their religious beliefs, they may write a letter specifying their objection to the school district superintendent or charter school CAO to request their child be excused from the exam(s).

Parents/guardians who believe that a testing irregularity may have occurred may email ra-ed-pssa-keystone@pa.gov or call 844-418-1651 to report the incident.

Please avoid scheduling appointments for your child

during school hours on these days.

Thank you!

DATES FOR PSSA TESTING AT GAMS

April 26-29 & May 3-4 PSSA – English Language Arts – Grades 6,7,8

May 10-13 PSSA – Mathematics – Grades 6,7,8

May 17-20 PSSA – Science – Grade 8 only

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PSSA Which schools participate? All school districts and charter schools participate in the assessments. Nonpublic schools may also participate on a voluntary basis. Which students take the assessments? Except for a very few students who meet specific criteria for participation in an alternate assessment, all students are included in the assessments as outlined below: ELA and Mathematics – Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Science – Grades 4 and 8 Who decided what the assessments should measure? Groups of educators from all levels of education in Pennsyl-vania chose the areas of knowledge and skills upon which the assessments are based. The groups included teachers, supervisors, curriculum directors, and college specialists. They also reviewed, edited, and approved the test items. Who administers the assessments? Each school chooses the person(s) who will administer the assessment. In most cases, these are teachers in the students’ building. How are the results reported? Two copies of the individual student report for all assessments will be sent to all schools and districts that participate for distribution to parents, teachers, school counselors and/or principals. The state will not receive any report with individual names included. School-level reports will be used for curricular and planning purposes. School districts and charter schools may publish the results of PSSA testing for each school. The state will also release school-by-school assessment data. May parents see the assessments? Yes, under one circumstance. School entities are required to have policies to assure that parents or guardians have the right to review a state assessment in the school entity during convenient hours for parents or guardians from the time testing materials are received to the end of the make-up schedule in order to determine whether a state assessment conflicts with their religious belief. This is the only reason allowable under regulation. Confidentiality agreements must be signed, and no copies of the assessments or notes about assessment items will be permitted to leave the school. If after reviewing the test, parents or guardians find the test to be in conflict with their religious belief and wish their student(s) to be excused from the test, the right of the parents or guardians will not be denied upon written request to the school district superintendent, Dr. Jason Perrin. Parents or guardians should contact their child’s school to make arrangements to review the test. Reporting Testing Irregularities Parents/guardians who believe that a testing irregularity may have occurred may email ra-ed-pssa-keystone@pa.gov or call 844-418-1651 to report the incident.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ASSESSMENTS Grades 3 - 8 How long does the assessment take? The entire English Language Arts assessment takes approximately three to four hours to complete. What does the assessment include? Each student completes three sections of questions for the English Language Arts assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions. What types of questions are on the assessment? Students respond to multiple-choice, evidence-based selected response, and constructed-response questions. In a multiple- choice question, the correct answer(s) is chosen from four options. Evidence-based selected-response questions have two parts, and students select one or more answers for each part. Constructed-response questions may include a short-answer (grade 3 only) or text-dependent analysis (grades 4-8 only). Short-answer questions require students to compose a brief response to support their answer. For the text-dependent analysis question, students analyze a text and use evidence from the reading passage to compose an essay. How are written responses to constructed-response items scored? The written responses for English Language Arts are scored by evaluators trained in applying an ELA-specific scoring guideline. For short-answer questions, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process. Responses to text-dependent analysis questions are scored based on both content and writing skills. What is assessed in English Language Arts? The English Language Arts assessment addresses six major reporting categories as well as two text types. Students respond to standalone multiple-choice items assessing language. Additionally, students read a number of passages from literature and informational genres and respond to questions about these passages that indicate both comprehension and reading skills and the students’ analysis and interpretation of different types of texts.

ELA Testing April 26-April 29

May 3-May 4

MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT / Grades 3-8

How long does the assessment take?

The entire mathematics assessment takes approximately two to three hours to complete.

What does the assessment include?

Each student completes two sections of questions for the mathematics assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions.

What types of questions are on the assessments?

Students respond to two types of questions: multiple-choice and open-ended. In a multiple-choice question, the correct answer is chosen from the four presented options, while open-ended questions require students to compose their responses. Open-ended questions generally require students to provide detail in support of their answers (such as showing or describing the steps performed to complete a calculation).

How are written responses to open-ended items scored?

The written responses for mathematics open-ended items are scored by evaluators trained in applying a mathematics-specific scoring guideline. In mathematics, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process.

What is assessed in Mathematics?

The mathematics assessment addresses five major reporting categories across four clusters. The reporting categories assessed and the proportion of questions in each reporting category vary by grade level. As a part of the assessment of Cluster A, Numbers and Operations, students in grades 4-8 respond to a set of questions without a calculator.

Constructed-response items may require the students to show all of their work (e.g., calculations, graphs, drawings) and/or to explain in writing how they solved the problems.

SCIENCE ASSESSMENT / Grades 4 and 8

How long does the assessment take?

The entire science assessment takes approximately one to two hours to complete.

What does the assessment include?

Students in grades 4 and 8 complete two sections of questions for the science assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions.

What types of questions are on the assessment?

Students respond to two types of questions: multiple-choice and open-ended. In a multiple-choice question, the correct answer is chosen from the four presented options, while open-ended questions require students to compose their responses. At grade 8, the science assessment also includes science scenarios.

What is a science scenario?

A science scenario contains text, graphics, charts, and/or tables and uses these elements to describe the results of a class project, an experiment, or other similar research.

Students use the information found in a science scenario to answer multiple-choice questions.

How are the written responses to open-ended items scored?

The written responses for science open-ended items are scored by evaluators trained in applying a science-specific scoring guideline. In science, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process.

What is assessed in science?

The science assessment addresses the four major reporting categories: The Nature of Science, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Earth and Space Sciences. The proportion of items in each reporting category varies by grade level.

Mathematics Testing May 10– May 13

Science Testing May 17-May 20

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)

Pennsylvania Calculator Policy If a student chooses to use a calculator (other than the online options) on the Keystone Exams or PSSA in sections where the calculator is permitted, the student must adhere to the guidelines listed below. It is incumbent upon the School Assessment Coordinator to ensure that all calculator policies are implemented and followed, including making sure calculators have no programs or other data stored in their memory other than those that are factory installed. Please note that if a student wants to restore the deleted programs, the student will need to back up these programs prior to the assessment. In addition, the memory must be cleared on the calculator prior to and following each test session of the assessment. The following are not permitted for the PSSA or Keystone Exams: Devices that have a primary purpose other than

functioning as a calculator such as cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, PDAs, laptops, tablets, pocket organizers, etc.

Calculators with infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other beaming or wireless capabilities, unless the beaming or wireless capabilities are disabled

Calculators with built-in Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)

Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, need to be plugged in, or talk; these specific calculators can only be used as a required accommodation as stated in the Accommodations Guidelines

Calculators shared by students during a test session Any and all non-factory (add-on) programs or

information stored in the calculator This calculator policy is intended to be a general description of what is not allowed. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of specific calculators, devices, or technologies that must not be used on the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Please note that as technology changes, this policy may also change.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Dear Parent/Guardian: In an era of cell phones, smartphones and other electronic devices which can easily photograph and instantly share photographs, confidential and secure test materials can be easily compromised. Not only is it expensive to replace a compromised test item, the material contained in the PSSA and Keystone Exams is copyrighted property of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Copying or duplicating the material from the assessment, including the taking of a photograph of secure assessment material, is a violation of the federal Copyright Act. Penalties for violations of the Copyright Act may include the cost of replacing the compromised test item(s) or fines of no less than $750 up to $30,000 for a single violation (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.). In order to ensure reliable test results and to avoid the cost of replacing test items, the Department of Education re-quires schools to set rules and take certain steps to protect test materials. Electronic devices such as but not limited to cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, E-readers, Nooks, Kindles, iPods, tablets, camera-ready devices, and any other electronic device which can be used to photograph or duplicate test materials, access the internet and/or communicate with others during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams are not permitted in any testing site. Please speak with your child and let him or her know that the possession and/or use of a cell phone or other electronic device during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams will result in consequences. You will be contacted by the school if your child is discovered using and/or having a cell phone or other electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Students who ignore this directive will be subject to the school’s discipline policy and the Department of Education’s requirement that the student’s test will not be scored and the student will be required to retake the entire exam. The electronic device will be held by school staff, and the device’s stored photographs and other functions will be examined with your permission. You may request to be present when the electronic device is examined. If a photograph of the PSSA or Keystone Exam is discovered or if permission to search other functions of the electronic device is refused, the device will be held by the school staff. The Pennsylvania Department of Education holds the copyright to all material contained within the PSSA and Keystone Exams, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will be contacted and further action may be taken. If, after testing is complete and test materials have been returned, it is discovered that a student used and/or had a cell phone or other electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the test, the school’s discipline policy will be followed and the student’s scores will be invalidated.

Bureau of Assessment and Accountability Department of Education

333 Market Street/Harrisburg, PA 17126 / 717-787-4234 / www.education.state.pa.us