Thursday, April 14th: NO SCHOOL for students
Student Led Conferences
Friday, April 15th: NO SCHOOL for students
Staff Development Day
Tuesday, April 19th: Oregon State Testing Begins for Level 2 Students
State (SBAC) Testing
Level 2 students will begin state testing on Tuesday, April 19th. 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:
- Encourage them to do their best
- Help them get plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast
- Check out the practice test site below
After following the link: sign in as a guest, select your grade and test (Math or ELA).
As a reminder, parents have the right under state law to opt their students out of state testing. Click here if you would like to exclude your students from state testing. Students who do not participate in testing engage in reading or other learning activities while their classes are testing.
Please contact Karen Torry at [email protected] with any questions about parent opt-out rights. Please contact your students' teachers with any questions about the schedule for state testing in their classes.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) State Testing
2021-22 School Year Calendar
A message from Art Teacher Stephanie:
Yearbook is on sale now for $20.
To purchase a yearbook please go to www.treering.com/validate and enter the number 1016052158063632. Students are now creating the cover of the yearbook. A yearbook is a great way to remember their time this year. If you have any questions please email Stephanie at [email protected]. Thanks for all your support!
What’s happening in the Puffin Nest?
Student created "book-tasting" event
This week, students set up literary genre tables for a class "book-tasting" event, and then rotated through the tables, sampling and discovering lots of great classroom books from different genres.
Class Read Aloud: Movie Party & Theme Park!
We finished our novel-study class read-aloud:
The award winning Flora & Ulysses
Because the Puffins earned a class party, we decided to enjoy the movie made from our read-aloud book. It was fun to observe and discuss the similarities and differences between the book and movie.
We are also excited to be working on our "Literary Theme Park" project, where groups plan and create an amusement park map to showcase what they learned about the plot, characters, and setting from Flora & Ulysses.
The Oregon Trail: Our Unit Overview
Using a strategy called Storypath, our students will form family groups and join a wagon train, which will help them build an understanding of the journey across the U.S. in the 1840s. Students will learn why emigrants formed wagon trains and moved west. They will confront difficulties such as illness, food shortages, and broken wagons. Encounters with Native Americans will set the scene for examining the views of the period as well as the ethical issues surrounding westward expansion. The culminating activities will involve a celebration and presenting plans for their new life in Oregon.
In class, we continue our Storypath journey!
Storypath Episode 8: An Encounter with American Indians
As our wagon train approached the Snake River, students encountered a group of Native Americans.
We began this Storypath episode by reading, and learning about the Native Americans who lived inland from the Oregon coast. Next, we examined and discussed the attitudes and misconceptions held by emigrants towards American Indians in the 1840s.
Out & About
This week, students prepared chili and made butter for cornbread. We enjoyed a meal together in the backyard garden.
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon
This historical adventure follows a typical family from Indiana traveling to Oregon in a covered wagon. It shows how they really lived: how they dressed; what they ate; what they saw; how they survived the hazardous journey.
Rachel's Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl
Rachel and her family travel by covered wagon following the Oregon Trail from Illinois all the way to California. The terrain is rough and the seven-month trip is filled with adventure and Rachel's handwritten journal chronicles every detail.
A Reminder about Level 2 Homework:
In Level 2, our homework is on the honor system. We ask families to develop and sustain this important practice at home in a way that works best for you. Having a regular routine (time/place/materials) will ensure that your child will be prepared to tackle their required homework in Level 3 more easily.
Math: at least 30 minutes (or more) of math practice each week.
Practicing multiplication math facts at home is a GREAT way to support your kiddo!
- 3rd graders should work on: 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's and 6's
- 4th graders should work on all multiplication facts for 2-12's.
We also recommend that students engage in 10-15 minutes of a math activity (math website or game) and then complete one page in their math workbook at least 2 days per week.
All level 2 kiddos brought home a math workbook (or packet) for homework practice in November. Let us know if they are ready for a new book!
For computer practice, take a moment to set up a free account for your child:
- Khan Academy: instructional videos and problem solving practice
- Prodigy: answer math questions, complete quests, earn rewards
- SumDog: solve math problems while playing video games
- Math Game Time: no account set-up required, select grade level & play!
- The public library is a great resource. Make sure your kiddo has access to lots of “good fit” books that they are excited to read. Check out our Level 2 Book Recommendations HERE.
- Read-alouds and audio books work too! Also, listen to your child read out loud, and ask them questions about their reading & thinking.