Monday, March 6th- Puffins to Forest Grove Public Library 2pm-3pm
Students may return books from our last visit, just bring them to school in a tote bag.
Chaperones Welcome! We will be visiting the children's department and can always use parent volunteers to walk with us, encourage our kiddos to make smart choices, and to help kids find and check out books. If you would like to join us, simply meet us in the classroom at 1:55pm after checking in with the school office.
Friday, March 24th All School Meeting and optional Spirit Day theme: flags
The Puffins class will be presenting on the stage!
Parents are welcome to attend the meeting:
Forest Grove School District building (1728 Main St.) in the Grove Room @ 9:45 am
March 27th - 31st
Spring Break Vacation- NO SCHOOL
Math Homework
For the upcoming week, focus on these Apply homework pages:
For 4th graders:
Students should work to complete all lessons remaining in the Module 3 book.
Keep an eye out for new homework books coming home at the end of next week.
For 3rd graders:
3rd graders will be bringing home their new Module 3 workbook. Keep an eye out for that!
3rd graders can work up to lesson 11 in their new Module 3 workbook.
(Also, 3rd graders should check that all lessons are finished up in their module 2 workbook.)
Also strongly recommended: daily practice with multiplication facts for 2-10's
Check out these multiplication fact practice apps: Looking for more? Check out lessons on Khan Academy.
What's happening in the Puffin Nest:
Level 2 students are embarking on a new Storypath adventure!
"Storypath" units promote children as active participants in their own learning. Students learn about social studies topics through cross-curricular connections woven into an imaginative real-world scenario. Students are engaged with investigations framed as stories in which characters experience certain events and are affected by them. They role-play and make critical decisions independently and collaboratively.
Our new StoryPath unit:
Main Street: Understanding Goods and Services.
Over the next 2 months, students will explore community collaboration and civics, the path of goods and services, and natural resource management by creating a business and addressing problems within the business community.
This corresponds with a series of Out & Abouts where students explore the path of natural resources, goods and services and waste. This unit is designed to help students learn about Oregon’s natural resources, and to understand how behaviors such as recycling, composting, buying products that are recycled or have less packaging, and reducing consumption can help the local and global environment.
During our investigation, we will focus on these big questions:
- Community jobs: Who takes care of our community’s resources?
- What are some of the responsibilities of the people who work in local businesses?
- What skills do workers need? How are these workers alike and different?
- Producers & Consumers: Where does the "stuff" we use everyday come from?
- Where does our trash go? How does the way we live affect the Earth?
- What are ways we can conserve energy and natural resources?
Creating the Setting: The Business Community
In the classroom, students create the setting of our "Storypath" with a mural of their own business community. They worked together in pairs to choose and create a business storefront to add to the mural.
For our Out & About last Wednesday, student teams went on a walking tour and took stock of what resources are available in downtown Forest Grove. We hunted for services, (Is there a place to get warm on a cold day? get exercise? medical care? computer access?) as well as goods (Is there healthy food to eat? locally made gifts? pet supplies?)
Students looked at what goods and services can be found on Main Street and talked about what resources are abundant and scarce in our community.
This Wednesday, Dr. Jaime from Metro came for a lesson in "Garbology." We got an inside peek at the action in Metro's transfer station and learned that the Metro area produces 60 semi trucks full of garbage every day. Yikes! We worked in teams to sort garbage into its natural resources, then tried to separate out what could be recycled, composted or reused instead of landfilled. What is one thing your family does to reduce trash? Learn more together here.
Here are some resources to continue the exploration at home:
- Live trash camera at the Metro South Transfer Station - oregonmetro.gov/trashcam
- Virtual tour of Metro Central Transfer Station - Beyond the Trash Can
- A day in the life at MetroPaint
- A day in the life at Household Hazardous Waste
- Recycle or Not online game (in Spanish as well) - https://www.recycleornot.org/
- Downloadable Recycle or Not worksheet/and answers (below the dinosaur videos)
- More information about landfill design and reducing food waste - Waste Management and the Compost Cycle videos
We have begun a new Read Aloud, and are excited to jump into the genre of Mystery! The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
This is a story about two young, adventurous detectives, who accidentally stumble upon a mystery surrounding a magician's diary. This is a fun read, filled with word games, and featuring a mysterious narrator.
Inclusive Community Read Aloud:
February: Black History Month
We continue with our weekly "Inclusive Community" read-aloud series.
Through these read-alouds, we will learn about and celebrate diversity in our community.
This week, we wrapped up February by reading:
Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History
Up Next:
Inclusive Community Read Aloud for March: Women's History Month
Through these read-alouds, we learn about and celebrate diversity in our community.
She Persisted
Bold and Brave
Women in Science
Tower of Books Challenge
The Tower of Books is an optional at-home independent reading challenge designed to support your child's daily reading habits. We ask that all of our level 2 kiddos engage in 20 minutes of reading outside of school time each day. Our kiddos brought home their paper "Tower of Books" backgrounds and book spine labels at fall conferences.
To meet the challenge, students must write down the name and category for each book they finish on a paper book "spine" and add it to their tower. The goal is 30 books! Consider an incentive for every tenth book your child reads (like picking family dinner or movie night). We have a special V.I.P celebration and award for any students who are able to complete the challenge before the last day of school this year. Please support your child in working on their tower and in helping them to be accountable with finishing a book "cover-to-cover" by discussing the book with them when they finish.