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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 19 progress, varying in length." Specific information within a par- ticular subject, is often also evaluat- ed, notes Podesta. "Parents might see the child's reading level on the report card," she adds. Old is new Grades are a big part of a stu- dent's report card, but what if your child's school does not work within a traditional grading system? Pough- keepsie Day School, an independent school in the town of Poughkeep- sie has successfully used the same innovative grading system since the school started in 1934. "We look at the whole child," says Head of School Benedict Chant. "When you get an 'A', how do you distinguish that from another child getting the same grade? If you give a grade it stops a conversation. But this (non-grading) system allows for real information, comments, narrat- ing about your child. Our narratives focus on what the student knows and can do and what the next steps for growth are," he says, adding that if a teacher sees that the child finds translation from Spanish to English easy but English to Spanish harder, the work with the student will be to find out why that is. Their report cards reflect this school of thought. A sample report card will offer a detailed description of the course and what the students (Continued on Page 20) "Teachers are assess- ing against bench- marks all the time, but they will write in detail about that, not just crank out a grade." BENEDICT CHANT Poughkeepsie Day School Let Van Vliet Orthodontics be the future of your smile! Dr. Van Vliet and his talented staff focus on the latest technology in orthodontic care including: • 3D Smiles • Invisalign • SureSmile 19 Woodside Place, Highland, NY 12528 * 845-691-8330 * www.vanvlietorthodontics.com Call today for a complimentary consultation!