BROOKLAWN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
DR. JOHN KELLMAYER
Superintendent
ALICE COSTELLO SCHOOL
301 Haakon Rd.
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
Telephone: (856) 456- 4039
Fax: (856) 456-2797
March 22, 2016
Dear Parent/Guardian,
As you may know, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
assessment has replaced the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) for students in
grades 3–8 in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. The PARCC assessment will be
administered to students enrolled in public schools across New Jersey throughout April and May 2016.
This year, Alice Costello Elementary School’s students will take the PARCC on the following dates:
Grades 3-5, April 11-15, 2016
Grades 6-8, April 18-22, 2016
The PARCC assessments were designed to provide information to districts about how well students are
achieving in English Language Arts and Mathematics relative to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
The CCSS determine what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade level. As in
the past, results will provide a snapshot of how your child performed on a standardized test on a given
day in relation to his/her peers.
Some portions of the PARCC assessments contain an audio/video component, which requires students to
wear headphones. Students may feel most comfortable wearing their own headphones, in which case,
they are encouraged to bring a personal set from home. Additional sets of headphones will be available
to use as a backup, if needed.
As part of the school community, you play an important role in preparing your child for this testing
situation. Please have your child in school each day of the testing period. Students perform best when
they have had a nutritionally balanced breakfast and a restful night’s sleep. Your support and
encouragement can also go a long way to set a positive tone for this test-taking situation.
On behalf of the professional staff of our district, I thank you for your continued support in making this a
positive experience for students.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Kellmayer
Superintendent/Principal
Brooklawn School District