Challenger students continue to achieve excellent results on the Iowa Assessments! (Your child’s personalized Iowa report will be mailed to you.)
In the charts below (click to toggle), the bars represent Challenger student performance against 1) all Iowa test-takers and 2) all private school test-takers nationally, using 2017 norms, the most recent available. The 50th percentile represents the average rank of all test-takers. The average Challenger student in every grade outpaces—by a significant margin—his or her peers in both public and private schools (which we would expect to be an academically higher-achieving group).
In every grade, Challenger students excel. These scores reflect the hard work and dedication of students, teachers, and parents. Congratulations, and well done to all!
At Challenger, we teach students that the most meaningful rewards are not handed out—they are earned through genuine effort and understanding. The true value of academic work lies not in external prizes, but in the mastery, confidence, and independent thinking that students build for themselves. These are the lifelong rewards that support purposeful, self-directed lives.
Our approach develops students who take pride in achievement for its own sake—students who are motivated not by applause, but by the joy of learning and the knowledge that they are becoming capable, internally motivated individuals.
At the end of our school year, Challenger campuses will host merit assemblies to acknowledge the hard work and progress of our kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
While certificates may be presented, they are simply acknowledgments—visible symbols of effort—not the purpose or reward. The focus and purpose of the assembly is to celebrate personal growth and reinforce the values of diligence, integrity, and rational achievement.
We will hold the assembly with this spirit in mind: that the highest merit is internal, and the ultimate reward is the character your child is building every day.
Preschool and kindergarten classes will close the school year by enjoying a “big top” of fun!
On the last day of class, students may come dressed as a circus character if they wish. We’ll play games and have lots of laughs and circus-themed activities.
With summer just around the corner, it’s time for some outdoor fun, friendly competition, and fresh air! Our annual Field Day, which will be held on the last day of school, is a day for elementary and middle-school students to take part in outdoor activities like relays and games. Students are not required to wear their uniforms on Field Day but should wear modest clothing appropriate for outdoor recreation.
Please check the lost and found at your campus before the school year ends. You may find something you did not realize was missing!
We listed several recent achievements of many students in the May newsletter, and in this issue, we’ve listed a few more that were recently reported. Nice work, and congratulations to these amazing Challenger achievers!
Because of his superior performance on the high school-level American Mathematics Competition 10 (AMC 10) last fall, Sidharth M. (Berryessa, CA) received a Certificate of Distinction that also qualified him to compete in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination.
Math Kangaroo is an annual, international math competition for students in grades 1–12, with over 50,000 American students participating in 2024. We are proud to announce that the Challenger students listed below ranked first for their grade level.
Challenger students enjoy submitting art and essay projects to America’s Freedom Festival. Student work for this optional contest occurs at home. Freedom Festival is one of America’s largest patriotic celebrations and is sponsored by a private, non-profit, non-political foundation whose mission is to celebrate, teach, honor, and strengthen the traditional American values of God, family, freedom, and country.
Sophia K. (Berryessa, CA) won the Grade 4–6 Patriot Award for her Freedom Festival art submission.
Shrinidhi V. (Strawberry Park, CA) was nominated to compete at the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovator Challenge. Nomination to the Thermo Fisher JIC is a great honor as it designates the top 10% of middle school science fair projects from nearly 300 fairs in the United States. Entries are judged during the summer, and the top 300 projects are announced in the fall.
Congratulations to the following first-place winners in their various regional Science Fair events.
The International Academic Competition (IAC) consists of both team and individual competitions in geography, history, and science. The competition is open to elementary through high-school students in over 50 countries. Devdatta P. (Sunnyvale, CA) qualified for this year’s national competition, and went on to win the 1st place prize in the Earth Science Exam, 2nd place in the Biology Exam, and 3rd place in both the Ornithology and the Physical Science Exam. Well done, Devdatta!
Challenger’s summer program is designed to review academic concepts while offering meaningful interaction with teachers and other students.
Half-day and all-day programs are available, and classes begin June 16 and 17. Students will engage in unique learning exercises, drills, and activities using methods that have proven successful for six decades—it’s the perfect way to enrich your child’s summer days!
If you have not yet enrolled your child in a summer program and would like to do so, contact your campus office for more information.
To keep concepts alive in your child’s mind this summer, consider picking up the Challenger Phonics Fun kit. The activities, characters, and songs are so fun that children learn while they play! Visit The Learning Crew’s website today!
Mark your calendars now for our two main breaks during next school year.
Challenger will not be in session during the dates listed below: