There are many differing opinions in the realm of education on student grades. For a great perspective, check out the letter to our lower elementary families that our teachers sent home with report cards!
Dear Parents,
Your child’s first report card of the year will be emailed to you on Friday. The grading scale for 1st-3rd grade uses a 1-3 scale that reflects how your child is doing, based on our expectations for his/her current grade level. If a student is secure in his/her work and is able to meet grade level expectations, he/she will receive a 3. A score of 2 indicates that the student is developing in his/her work; sometimes concepts in that area can be difficult, but the student is continuing to progress toward meeting grade level expectations. A score of 1 indicates beginning understanding and means the concepts in that area are difficult for that student. You may see a 1, 2, or 3 with a plus behind it. A 3+ would indicate that a student is exceeding grade level expectations. A 1+ or 2+ would show that a student is moving towards the next level of developing or secure.
Remember, education is more than academics. Your child is a unique child of God and is learning in many ways - intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. It is difficult to describe and evaluate a child with only marks in a box. Your child is and will become so much more than a report card could ever show. A report card is a small picture of progress, and learning is a process. As teachers, it is our goal to meet your child where they are and help move them forward.
We hope that you will talk with your child about his/her progress in school - giving praise for areas of achievement and encouragement in areas of difficulty. It is our privilege to be working alongside you this year, helping your children develop the gifts that God has given them. More important than the academics, it is our prayer that they will grow as children of God, rooted in His Word as they prepare to serve Him.
In Christ,
The 1st-3rd grade teachers