Sequoia Middle School
9452 Hemlock Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335

(909) 357-5400
Fax: (909) 357-5419

Gorge Santiago, Principal
Eduardo Gomez, Assistant Principal

Dear Families:

Spring is my favorite time of the year. It has nothing to do with flowers blooming, or lawns becoming green, but rather it signals the beginning of the baseball season. Go Dodgers. Spring also signals the beginning of the testing season. This is a very important time of the year, because these tests measure if your students learned the standards for their respective grades. Seventh graders will be tested in Language Arts and Math, while Eighth Graders will be tested in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Here are some tips that can help your students perform well on the tests.

1. Make sure your students understand the importance of these tests. How your student performs on these tests will affect what classes they take in eighth and ninth grade. Poor performance on these tests can result in your student being placed in intervention classes or lower level courses.
2. Make sure your student has a healthy and balanced breakfast. Make sure your student doesn’t have a breakfast that has too much sugar (donuts, or sugary cereals). A breakfast high in protein is best. Research has shown that protein sustains the attention span, and reduces fatigue. If you want your student to eat breakfast at school, make sure they arrive early enough to do so.
3. Make sure your students are at school on time, and for the whole day. Please schedule your appointments for the late afternoon, or after the testing window closes. We have established a testing schedule that ensures your student is focused the entire time. Having to take multiple tests because of an absence can have an adverse effect on their scores.
4. Keep cell phones and other electronics home during this time.
5. Limit the amount of time they spend playing video games or watching television. Students who are exposed to too much television or play games too long have a shorter attention span.
6. Talk to your student about the tests. This will help to reduce their test anxiety.
7. Make sure they have a good nights sleep.

During the testing season, we will be taking steps to reduce your student’s anxiety. Please remember that during this time, we will have a minimum day every Friday, and students will be dismissed at 11:51. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 357-5400.

Until Next Time,

Mr. Santiago
Principal

Oprima aquí para español.