October Update

September 20^th was a very memorable day as we celebrated the opening of Borlaug Elementary and the humanitarian for which we are named, Dr. Norman Borlaug.  We celebrated our school through song and presentation about Dr. Borlaug and his life’s accomplishments and philosophy.  Dr. Borlaug’s daughter, Jeanie Borlaug Laube, and his first cousin, Allen Borlaug, were impressed by the building but more importantly by our students.  I want to thank all who were able to attend and to those who made the day such a success!

During the months of September and October, your child(ren) have and will be participating in a variety of assessments. The assessments assist teachers in identifying areas of strengths, areas for growth, and ultimately the information will result in guiding instruction. In September, district reading tests were administered. During October 15-19, students in grades 3-6 will take the Iowa Assessments, formally known as ITBS. This test covers Reading, Language and Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. During the final week of October, students in sixth grade will take the Iowa Youth Survey.

Parent teacher conferences will soon be approaching.  It is our goal to have 100% participation in our fall and spring conferences.  If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for a conference time, please contact your child’s teacher to set a time and date.  We have two night conference dates, November 1^st and 8^th, and we have conferences all day on November 9^th. Thank you for your participation in this process and for supporting your child’s education.