From the desk of Cherie Swader
April 14, 2008

Dear DES Family and Friends,

As most of you are aware, the No Child Left Behind Act, that was passed by President Bush in 2001 has had a major influence on educational reform. In response to the legislation, the Georgia State School Board has adopted several mandates including the high stakes testing CRCT (Criterion Referenced Competency Test), which addresses the accountability portion of the reform bill. All students in grades one through five are required to take the CRCT. Dade Elementary School Students will be taking the CRCT tests next week, April 21-25. Our students have been preparing for these tests with the instructional guidance of our staff of "highly qualified" teachers. The instructional program is based on the Georgia Performance Standards and the Quality Core Curriculum. The following website will help you better understand the requirements and guidelines that surround this testing process: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx and then click on CRCT. We as parents and educators play a significant role in making this a positive experience for the students. Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest (in bed early), eats a good breakfast, and gets to school on time (children that are tardy will have to take a makeup test, because the testing process cannot be interrupted once it begins). Don't talk excessively about the test or put undue stress on your child - he or she has been preparing all year - just make positive, encouraging comments.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your child's teacher or one of our school counselors. We appreciate your continued support of Dade Elementary School and the academic progress of the students.

In honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Week, the Dade Elementary School Faculty and Staff would like to say a special THANKS to Jennifer Buchanan, our School Resource Officer. Her dedication and commitment to our school have made her an incredible asset to the faculty and staff and positive role model for the students.

We will be in school on Monday, April 28th.

Cherie Swader
Principal
Dade Elementary School
"Hand In Hand - We Learn Together"