Upcoming Events Calendar for May & June:
Thursday, May 19th Typed biography essay was due (completed instead of regular writing homework).
Friday, May 20th Lunch order forms due. Click here to download a June 2016 school lunch order form.
Monday, May 23rd State (SBAC) MATH Testing Continues
Testing is administered in the computer lab in short sessions, and students have the opportunity to work on the same test over multiple sessions so they can work at their own pace. Please help support your Puffin by:
- encouraging them to do their best
- making sure they eat a healthy breakfast and bring a snack
- helping them get plenty of sleep
- practice keyboarding skills
Donations of nuts/trail mix, organic apples, and yogurt are needed! There are sign-ups on VolunteerSpot, and you are welcome to send snacks in with your child anytime over the next three weeks.
Friday, May 27th All School Meeting: Puffins will present a special newscast all about earthquake preparedness and the kits they are creating for the school.
Forest Grove School District building (1728 Main St.) in the Grove Room @ 9:45 am
Spirit Day! Friday, May 27th: Level-Themed Spirit Day.
Level 2 students who wish to participate should focus on our level's theme:
Favorite Hat & Sunglasses- Let's have fun!
Monday, May 30th NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 1st Celebrations of Learning 5 - 6:30 pm
Friday, June 3rd FGCS Talent Show
Forest Grove School District building (1728 Main St.) in the Grove Room @ 9:30 am
Thursday, June 9th Bridging Ceremony at Taylor-Meade @ 1pm
The Bridging Ceremony honors students in 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th grades who are moving up to a new grade level or graduating from FGCS.
Friday, June 10th Last Day of School- Field Day
Become a Summer Garden Steward
Please consider helping care for the garden this summer!
Homework will be due on Thursday, May 26th:
Each week, homework is the following 3 parts:
1. Math:
Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice per week-(more is recommended)
Suggested 3rd grade math practice:
- Y.2, Y.3, Y.4 Equivalent Fractions
- X.16, X.17, X.18, X.19 Fraction Word Problems
- For parents: How to show a fraction on the number line and examples from class
- Khan Academy, Measurement & Data: Area & Perimeter
- Measurement Homework Pages
2. Writing:
- Reading Response Letter in Writer's Notebook. Parents! Please take a look at the directions for completing the Reading Response Letter (these can also can be found inside the front cover of the writing notebook.) Sentence starting ideas can be found on the last page of the notebook.
- NOTE: Students can TYPE their reading response and email it to:
[email protected] Title: Student Name/ Date
3. Reading:
Read for at least 20 minutes every night- track at home
Our Week in Review:
Project:
This Wednesday, level 2 students spent the day at Gales Creek Campground, hiking and practicing outdoor skills. Students enjoyed a hike, learned to tie knots, put up tents, made rock paint, filtered stream water and built models of fires. It was a wonderful day in the woods!
On Wednesday, June 1, we will join the Plovers again for a day of outdoor adventures at Hagg Lake!
While there, students will have the opportunity to learn about water safety and canoeing from Pacific University experts. They require an "Informed Consent for Minors" to be filled out by parents prior to the activity.
Clothing suggestions: shoes that can get wet, long hiking pants, and any other clothes you think will work for canoeing and other outdoor adventures at the lake. Remember sunscreen and a water bottle.
Where: Hagg Lake
When: Wednesday, June 1st We will depart from school at 9:30am and return at 2pm
Chaperones are welcome to meet us at the lake at 10am.
4th grade Math:
Current Topics:
Measurement & Data: Playground Design Unit
Students are solving problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements.
We are working to apply area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems.
Reading Workshop:
Novel and Non-Fiction Study:
Students follow up sessions of focused, independent reading with a four part reflection. In their novel study journals, students list and define new words. They note examples of figurative language. They summarize the chapters they read, pose questions and make predictions about what might happen next in the story.
For Non-Fiction, students complete a KWL chart before, during and after reading.
Literature circles:
These small group book clubs engage students in rich conversations about shared readings. Students can express their opinions, predictions, and questions about a text in a productive, structured way. Students take on specific group roles which are designed to develop reading, speaking, and thinking abilities.
Literature Circle Books we are reading:
- The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
- Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- Navajo Longwalk by Nancy M. Armstrong
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Frindle by Andrew Clements
- Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
Writing Workshop
We continue Bringing History to Life with our Biography Unit!
During this unit, students:
- Conduct a short research project that builds knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
- Write informational text by teaching about a topic clearly and including facts, quotations, details, formatting and illustrations.
This week, we are working on revision and editing with typed drafts on Google Drive. Students are working in small groups to peer edit.
Class Read Aloud
We are currently reading The Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Key Boarding Practice at Home
Students can get valuable keyboarding practice by typing their reading response letter each week. Please continue to proofread the letter and give feedback to your young writer. I recommend that students use Word or Pages to type/edit/save their work, and then cut and paste the finished response into the email. As you observe your kiddo typing, you will know if they need more "home-row" typing support. There are many free typing programs out there. Here are a few games/ websites to check out: