Principal Update

QUEST Families,

Happy October. I hope you and your family have enjoyed some of the fall fun that Hilton has to offer, and that you are finding your family in the back-to-school groove. Things are busy at QUEST, and we continue to grateful for the opportunity to work alongside your family. We have many updates this month, so please review our family blog at your convenience. 

QUEST Reporting System

The QUEST reporting system, or the mechanisms we use to communicate your child's achievement as a learner, has had a couple shifts. You will notice these changes as we move toward three-way conferences, but I wanted to take a moment to highlight the shifts and the why behind each shift. 

Shift 1: There are no longer G, for goals, listed directly on the QUEST report card. Now, the report card will only have a 1,2,3 rating for each content area indicator, or an S (support)/I (independent) for the Approaches to Learning section (learning behaviors).

History of this: In the past, the teacher would bring the progress report, or report card, to the conference. Students would have goals, and the goals for the student would be established and marked on this report by using a G (for goal). So the report card would have some ratings (1,2,3) and some G's if that was a goal for the student. 

Why we made this change:  It was noted by many that this created confusion for parents when reading the report card. In addition, there were inconsistent amount of goals being established, and students often were not aware of what their goals were once the conference was over. This contradicts the purpose of a student establishing and having learning goals to work toward. 

Shift 2: We have created a new document, which you will see at the three way conferences, to record student goals and the school/home actions that help the child achieve the goal(s)! All student goals will center around the AtL's (Approaches to Learning). 

History of this: Different staff were using different forms for this process. In addition, the amount of goals varied . 

Why we made this change: The point of goal setting is student agency. That is, students owning their learning. As a school, we envision our students leaving QUEST after Intermediate as agents of their learning; as learners, they would know who they are and what they need, and can advocate for needs. This approach aligns us vertically as each level has a prescribed amount of goals, but we also have a common form to walk students through that process. You will see this form at the goal setting meeting.

Goals would later be followed up upon at Portfolio Share, which occurs in late February-early March. 

Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching, and our school will have an outdoor parade around the bus loop on 9:30 am on 10/31. Please feel free to join us. If you wish to participate with other classroom-wide activities, please chat with your child's teacher about opportunities. 

What if we do not celebrate Halloween? 

If your family does not celebrate Halloween, please be sure to communicate with your child's teacher so that we can prepare alternate opportunities for your child.  

What is allowed and not allowed to be worn to school on Halloween? 

• No blood should be part of the costume that is worn to school.
• Toy weapons that go with the costume should not be brought to school.
• If a child has a mask with their costume, they should bring that in their bag; their classroom teacher will instruct them when it is an appropriate time to put it on.
• Costumes should not be offensive or discriminate against others.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Please do not reach out should you have any questions. 

Respectfully,

Derek Warren

QUEST Principal