Dear Parents and Guardians:

Sewell Middle School students will be administered the Criterion Referenced Competency Test next week, April 21 through 25, 2008. This testing will take place each morning until approximately 11:00 a.m. and consists of one content area each day divided into two sections with a 10 minute stretch break in between. It is very important that your child be at school each morning during this testing period.

The purpose of the testing is:

Ø To identify knowledge and skills your child has learned well as they relate to the state curriculum, Georgia’s Performance Standards and Quality Core Curriculum.

Ø To help you and your child’s teachers understand where he or she may need extra help based on the state curriculum.

Ø To show how your child’s achievement compares to other students statewide.

Ø As a criteria for grade promotion (state-mandated in grades 3, 5, and 8)

Some guidelines follow that will help your child to achieve his or her full potential during this testing:

q Make sure your child gets plenty of rest each night of the testing period.

q Please encourage your child to be at school and on time each day of the testing. Please be reminded that our morning bell rings at 7:55 a.m.and students are tardy after 8:00 a.m. Please try to avoid appointments or other checkouts during the testing period. It makes it much harder on the student to have to make up the sections of the test they have missed.

q Avoid rushing each morning of the testing days. Be sure to have clothes, books and supplies ready the night before.

q Please encourage your child to eat breakfast prior to each day’s testing. It is hard for students to focus on testing when they are hungry. Students are allowed and encouraged to bring a sealable water bottle each day for hydration during testing. Each student will be provided a snack by the school each day of the testing period and, therefore, does not need to bring one from home.

q Encourage your child to listen carefully to instructions and not to spend too much time on any one question.

q Do whatever you can to build your child’s self-confidence regarding the testing.

Thank you for your support as we approach this very important time.