A message from MONTEREY HILLS SCHOOL Dear MHS Families, Over the next two weeks (November 9 - November 20) you’ll be participating in our very first MHS Virtual Parent-Teacher Conference. This is an opportunity to discover how your child is progressing so far this year and what her/his/their goals are for the next trimester. Please come prepared to share your child’s experience in distance learning; any questions you might have; and any concerns that have arisen about your child’s progress. If you haven’t signed up for your conference, please look for an email from your child’s teacher which will contain directions on how to sign-up for a conference time that works best for you. On Monday, November 9 at 9:00AM you’ll have access to your child's 1st trimester report card via the Aeries Portal. Please click on the "Grades" tab and then on "Standards Based Report Cards." You will be able to access the current report card for review and printing. South Pasadena’s Elementary Progress Report is standards-based.  The purpose of this report is to inform parents/guardians about her/his/their child’s progress towards achieving South Pasadena Unified School District standards and to guide growth. SPUSD standards are the California Content Standards, including the CCSS for ELA and Mathematics. The students in 1st - 5th grade are scored on a four-point rubric, TK and K are scored on a three-point rubric.   A standards-based report card assesses a student’s performance on the content (academic) standards within the student’s particular grade level.  Therefore, each grade level progress report contains different standards.  Please know that many of the standards are taught throughout the year so it’s not unusual for a student to receive a ‘2’ during the first trimester. You can find more information on grade level standards on the South Pasadena Unified School District website: Grade Level Standards. If you scroll down the page, you will find a great resource: Parent’s Guide to Student Success Published by National PTA, clear, concise and tips included!! This process, of assigning grades during a pandemic, has certainly been complex. Some grade levels asked that I share additional information on how they came to complete the report cards. (You will receive this in a separate email.) You will note that there is a statement on every report card under comments: Trimester 1's grades reflect achievement and effort during distance learning. This statement was added to acknowledge that this time is completely unique. You may also note that there are a