Although they say they don’t study together, keen math and reading skills must run in the family for Haylee, 9, and Christian, 8, Luedtke.
The sister and brother from Good Shepherd Lutheran School were both recently honored with an award ceremony for their achievements in both placing well out of the national range for the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test and the California Achievement Test (CAT), respectively.
‘Christian took the Terra Nova version of the CAT, and he had 85-100 percent in every category,? said Good Shepherd teacher Stephanie Polonkey, who was Haylee’s fourth grade teacher this year and taught math to second-grader Christian. Both children will be in her third-fifth grade classroom next year.
‘He received 99 percent in reading, 88 percent in language and 99 percent in math,? Polonkey said. ‘His total score was 99 percent…and this is the first year we’ve taken any tests at all that were standardized.?
On the MEAP test, which offers scores of 1-4, with one being the highest and four the lowest, Haylee received all ones and twos.
‘She had a one in math, a one in reading, a two in writing and a two in English language arts,? said Polonkey. ‘She took the MEAP in fourth grade, and she’ll take it again next year as a fifth-grader.?
Polonkey believes the personalized atmosphere and individual attention students receive at Good Shepherd School are contributing factors for test scores like Haylee’s and Christian’s.
‘Our math program helped out quite a bit, because it’s problem-solving based,? she said. ‘But I was surprised…Haylee’s quite gifted, and Christian is gifted in math.?
Polonkey said four fourth-graders took the MEAP this year at Good Shepherd, and 14 second-graders took the CAT.
‘Another student, Timothy Ryding, did well on the CAT, he got an 80 percent,? she said. ‘The kids do a ton of group work, where they are more or less teaching each other.?
Haylee and Christian both said their favorite subject is math, and both have specific careers in mind already.
‘I want to be the President of the United States when I grow up,? Christian said.
‘I want to be a teacher,? said Haylee.
Both were surprised to learn they were the top scorers in their grades.
‘I thought I’d done well, but I was surprised I was the top scorer,? Haylee said. ‘In different areas (Christian and I) are different, but in some areas we’re the same.?
Haylee said she and Christian don’t study together.
‘But next year she’s in fifth grade, so she’ll be in the same classroom as me,? Christian said.
When they aren’t studying, Haylee enjoys dancing and soccer while Christian said he likes to play soccer too, and play with friends. They are both looking forward to a trip to Mackinac Island this summer.