Friday, May 26: FGCS talent show 9:30-11 a.m.
Grove Room/District Office, 1728 Main Street. Parents are welcome to attend.
Monday, May 29th: NO SCHOOL Memorial Day
Monday, June 5th: Out & About at Hagg Lake, 9:30-1:30.
Students will be exploring all of the resources that Oregon has to offer, and we’d like this day to be a celebration of our state's outdoor recreation.
We will be working with Adventures Without Limits to offer a canoeing opportunity. In addition, we need volunteers to both lead and support a variety of activity stations that students will select among.
Would you be able and willing to lead a small group activity? This could be a nature walk, a game of frisbee, football or water balloons, teaching about fishing, wilderness skills, or some nature-based art. Do you have skills? Please share them! No skills, but some interest and enthusiasm? Just as good! Or, if you prefer not to lead, we will need several volunteers to support as well. Email Erin, [email protected], to sign up or learn more.
Thursday, June 8: FGCS Celebration of Learning Event @ 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Math Homework
For the upcoming week, focus on these Apply homework pages:
For 4th graders:
4th graders should work to finish up all lessons in their Module 4 workbook.
Next week, keep an eye out for the new Module 5 workbook coming home.
For 3rd graders:
3rd graders should be working up to lesson 8 in the new Module 6 workbook.
NEW module 6 homework books were sent home on 5/11
Also, 3rd graders should check that all lessons are finished up in their previous workbooks.
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:
Episode 2: Creating the Characters: Visitors’ Center Employees
We began this episode by asking, “Who are the people who work in visitors’ centers?” In this episode, our kiddos are going to become state tourism experts who will work in the visitors’ center they have created. Students imagine themselves as adults applying to work in a visitors’ center, blending what is true about themselves and what they imagine about themselves as adults. They thought about the personality traits and skills needed to work in an educational center open to the public.
Students discussed the following big ideas:
What do you need to know to work in a visitors’ center?
What skills do you need to have to work in a visitors’ center?
What personality characteristics would be important to work in a visitors’ center?
What special interests might contribute to someone wanting to work in a visitors’ center?
Out&About
Last week, we visited the Tillamook Forest Center. Students were able to observe the center's employees and informational exhibits.
This week, we explored two different maps of amazing Oregon. Outside, we created a 3-D model of Oregon's rivers and mountains. Student teams picked up "storm cloud" sponges from the Pacific Ocean, and ran them eastward across the state to show something unique about our rainfall. Do you remember which part of the state gets the most precipitation? We also hosted a Casey Blake, guest educator from Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom. He taught us the "6Fs" of agriculture, and we investigated the commodities that are produced in different regions of Oregon. Which of Oregon's region would your family like to visit this summer?
Read Aloud
We are beginning a new book!
Drizzle by Kathleen VanCleve
Eleven-year-old Polly Peabody needs to make it start raining. For her entire life, it has rained at exactly one o'clock every Monday afternoon on her family's magical rhubarb farm, until one Monday, when it stops. And then Polly's brother gets sick, really sick. Polly has to figure out how everything is connected and make it rain before her beloved Aunt Edith sells the farm. She has help from the farm itself, in the form of the plants and insects, including her best friend, Harry, a chocolate-tasting rhubarb plant. They all push Polly to confront her fears. But is it enough, and more importantly - is there enough time?
Social Emotional Learning
As we begin the countdown to our last several week of school, we want to make each day count! During our morning meetings, we have been talking about how to bring positivity, kindness, diligence and care to each day.
Growth Mindset:
- I believe my intelligence and abilities can be improved with effort and the right strategies.
- I love learning new things, I like to be challenged, and I am willing to make mistakes! I persevere and try my best. I have a positive attitude, even when things are tough.
- I am thoughtful about my words and I am aware of how they affect others.
- I always show respect and care to all students and teachers by speaking kindly.
- If I get upset, I take a break before saying something unkind.
- I pay attention to directions and I understand how to do my job as a student independently. I don’t need many extra reminders.
- I am ready and eager to learn. I do my best to pay attention during lessons.
- I participate by raising my hand to share ideas.
- I take care of my materials and space.
- I am aware of my body, and I move safely around others.
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.