Principal Letter: Grades 7-12 midterm exams set for Jan. 19-29

This message was sent to grades 7-12 families via one Call Now email Jan. 15

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

We hope this letter finds you safe and well. We have reached the half-way point of this school year and are proud of our school, our students, our staff and our community for the continued support during these unprecedented times. Our building remains open to in-person learning and we hope to see more students walk through our doors with the arrival of warmer weather and as vaccines become more widely available throughout our state.

As with everything this year, January has brought its own challenges as Regents tests have been cancelled across the state. As educators, we still value mid-year assessment and it is now more important than ever to gauge how well our school community is teaching and learning in our remote/hybrid model.

We will administer midterms for grades 7-12 from Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 29. In doing so, we will be able to provide constructive feedback to help both staff and students make teaching and learning adjustments through the remainder of the year. As of now, we anticipate that June Regent exams will take place.

Midterms are being presented as a second opportunity or incentive. We are offering students the opportunity to replace a 1st or 2nd quarter grade with their midterm score. We are also extending the traditional four (4) day testing window to nine (9) days to ensure we are not overloading students’ days and/or weeks with multiple exams.

Please take a few minutes to review your child’s midterm schedule, which is posted below. We encourage you to discuss and reiterate the importance of participating in review classes, putting forth their best effort, and taking advantage of this opportunity. 

Please note: Watervliet schools will be closed Monday, January 18 in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

All midterm exams will be offered during regularly scheduled classes so there is no impact on transportation.

Please be sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and comes prepared to do their best! If you have any questions, please call the guidance office at 518-629-3302.

Ryan E. Groat, Principal