Monday, March 11th Puffins to Forest Grove Public Library 2pm-3pm
Students should bring their library books to return, library card and a tote bag.
Chaperones Needed!
Wednesday, March 13th O&A to Portland Zoo
Departing FGCS at 9am- returning 2:15pm
We are all set for parent chaperones- thank you!
Thursday, March 21st Scholastic Book Orders Due
Scholastic Book Clubs. Class Code: L79X9
Order Due Date: THURSDAY 3/21/19 by 9pm
- Go to scholastic.com/bookclubs
- Enter our one-time Class Activation Code: L79X9
- Shop and submit your child's book order.
- Pick a FREE book with an online order of $25 or more; use code: READS.
- As soon as your order is delivered to our classroom, it will be sent it home with your child.
March 25-29th Spring Break!
Wednesday, April 3rd O&A to Fernhill Wetlands 10:45am-1:30pm
Chaperones Needed!
Community School Calendar 2018-2019
Forest Grove Public Library November Calendar of Events
A little note about comfort: Winter is here! Please make sure that your kiddo is properly outfitted with warm (waterproof) layers and appropriate footwear on Monday and Wednesdays when they will be outside for at least part of their day.
A note from Vanessa Gray:
FGCS parents are invited to participate in a 4-part educational workshop for parents of children experiencing anxiety. The group will meet 5-6:30 p.m. on:
April 4, May 9 and June 6 at FGCS. The workshop is offered free of charge.
Led by two Pacific University graduate psychology students, the workshop is for parents of children who struggle with fears, nervousness, and worries. Come learn about anxiety, ways to manage child anxiety, and ways to respond to your child’s anxious behaviors. The workshop is intended to create a comfortable space for parents to learn more about challenges their children may be experiencing and learn new ways to parent your anxious child with compassion.
Questions? Please contact principal Vanessa Gray at [email protected] or 503-359-4600.
What's Happening in the Puffin Nest...
Read Across America Day
Grab your hat and read with the cat! The Puffins celebrated the National Education Association's annual Read Across America Day on Monday, March 4th. The Puffins honored Dr. Seuss's birthday with a day of buddy reading, art appreciation and poetry!
Level 2 Science
What we're learning in science this week...
This week we began a unit of study called “Animals Through Time.” In our first Mystery we explored the idea that the rock under our feet sometimes contains fossils. Those fossils reveal how habitats have changed through time. For example, fossil shark teeth and fossil starfish found in the center of North America are evidence that what is grassland today must have been an ocean in the ancient past.
You can help support your child’s learning by striking up a conversation about an exotic habitat you might have visited on vacation. If feasible, consider visiting the nearest science museum and/or quarry to see any local fossils that have been found in our region.
The second mystery we explored involved dinosaurs: how do we know what they looked like on the outside, when all we have of them are fossil bones? Why are we always depicting them as scaly lizards? Your child is learning how we can infer what the outside of an animal looks like, by using clues about their skeleton. We are also exploring how the structure of an animal’s teeth say something about what kind of food the animal preferred to eat (i.e. meat, plants, or both).
Dinosaurs are very exciting and so are likely to be a topic on your child’s mind these next few weeks. You can continue to stoke this interest by choosing to watch an educational program on dinosaurs together, such as Walking with Dinosaurs. If you have any toothed pets, such as a cat, dog, or even hamster, you can also invite your child to classify these living animals as herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore by observing their teeth.
How's your homework routine going?
Suggested Weekly Homework:
Reading Homework
Spend at least 20 minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
Reading is on the "honor system" and we ask that you help your kiddo to develop a daily reading routine with good-fit books and a well-lit, comfy reading spot away from distractions. At fall conferences, your kiddo brought home the Tower of Books wall poster, which is a fun (and optional) reading genre challenge.
Typing Homework
Level 2 students have typing homework to develop and support important keyboarding skills. Please practice at least 20 minutes per week on: Typing.com
Passwords were sent home at family visits. Please email Ginny if you need help getting into your child's account.
Math homework
Math homework is a chance for students to practice what they have learned in class and for families to see what students are learning in grade level math. It is also the best opportunity for your child to receive one-on-one math support. It is important to help your student set up a homework routine so they are getting regular math practice every week.
Every week, the math homework is to complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.
Ideas for math practice:
- Recommended: Students can get valuable math practice with their Dreambox account. The Dreambox accounts offer an easy way to track math progress and feature assignments that are on-topic with what we are learning in class.
- If your family would prefer to practice math skills in other ways (practice books, worksheets, flash cards, math games or other online resources such as Khan Academy), please send in your student's work OR send me an email before Friday morning each week letting me know how they completed their 30 minutes of weekly math practice. Current 3rd/ 4th grade math topics are listed below.
3rd grade parent info:
Current 4th grade Math Topic:
- Fractions
Prefer a worksheet for math homework? You can download here, or your student can pick up a paper copy in class.
Here are the practice pages for the previous weeks:
- Homework #1: Introduction to Fractions
- Homework #2: Unit Fractions/ Finding Fractions on a Number line
- Homework #3: Comparing Fractions
- Homework #4: Adding & Subtracting Fractions
- Homework #5: Adding & Subtract Fractions with UNLIKE denominators AND Multiplying a Fraction by a Whole Number
- Homework #6: Proper and Improper fractions, Conversions between improperfractions and mixed numbers, addition of mixed numbers
All 4th grade math students should be practicing their multiples DAILY.
4th graders have set goals and made plans for daily practice and have identified the numbers they needs to work on (ie. 6’s, 7’s, 8’s, etc.). Check in with your kiddo about this!
If you are interested in exploring other ways to practice math at home, take a look at these ideas:
Ideas for math practice:
- 4th graders can get valuable math practice with Khan Academy. Current 4th grade math topics are listed below.
- Online Math Game Sites: ZapZap Math or Prodigy- create your own account!
- Multiplication Facts Practice with a simple dice game. How to Play: Each player takes turns rolling 3 dice. First to break 200 (or 500, etc.) wins. On your turn, you get to choose two dice to add together, then you multiply the sum by the final die. That’s your score for that turn.
- Facts Practice with Free Math Apps: Sushi Monster & Math Hero
- Facts Practice with Purchased Math Apps: Operation Math & Math Vs. Zombies